ncil
entered. D'Aygaliers was punctual, the king appeared at the usual hour,
and as he paused before d'Aygaliers, Chamillard came forward and said:

"Baron d'Aygaliers, sire."

"I am very glad to see you, sir," said the king, "for I am very much
pleased with the zeal you have displayed in Languedoc in my
service--very much pleased indeed."

"Sire," answered d'Aygaliers, "I consider myself most unfortunate in that
I have been able to accomplish nothing deserving of the gracious words
which your Majesty deigns to address me, and I pray God of His grace to
grant me in the future an opportunity of proving my zeal and loyalty in
your Majesty's service more clearly than hitherto."

"Never mind, never mind," said the king. "I repeat, sir, that I am very
much pleased with what you have done."

And he entered the room where the council was waiting.

D'Aygaliers went away only half satisfied: he had not come so far only to
receive commendation from the king, but in the hope of obtaining some
concession for his brethren; but with Louis XIV it was impossible either
to intercede or complain, one could only wait.

The same evening Chamillard sent for the baron, and told him that as
Marechal Villars had mentioned in his letter that the Camisards had great
confidence in him, d'Aygaliers, he wished to ask him if he were willing
to go once more to them and try and bring them back to the path of duty.

"Certainly I am willing; but I fear things have now got so far that there
will be great difficulty in calming the general perturbation of mind."

"But what can these people want?" asked Chamillard, as if he had just
heard them spoken of for the first time, "and by what means can we pacify
them?"

"In my opinion," said the baron, "the king should allow to all his
subjects the free exercise of their religion."

"What! legalise once more the exercise of the so-called Reformed
religion!" exclaimed the minister. "Be sure you never mention such a
thing again. The king would rather see his kingdom destroyed than
consent to such a measure."

"Monseigneur," replied the baron, "if that is the case, then I must say
with great regret that I know of no other way to calm the discontent
which will ultimately result in the ruin of one of the fairest provinces
in France."

"But that is unheard-of obstinacy," said the minister, lost in
astonishment; "these people will destroy themselves, and drag their
country down with them. If they can