The Scourge of God

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and the foot soldiers of de Peyre, Lieutenant General of the Province, to observe the rays of the setting sun flicker on their embrowned musketoon and fusil barrels, and to hear the ring of bridle chain and stirrup iron. That they would come on the instant that the intelligence reached Baville of what had been done in Montvert over night it was impossible to doubt. And then

he cattle were removed--they would be priceless in the mountain fastnesses; even the dogs had followed at their masters' heels; upon those masters' shoulders and upon the

r those two men who sat there wo

he Revocation of Nantes was promulgated seventeen years before, had fought strongly against his congregation attending the Romish masses as the Government had ordered them to do. He was a man in evil odour,

ng the long weeds in the river as they bent beneath its swift flow, "yet of what can you be accused? You interceded for him," and he directed his eyes in the direction of the dead abbé, where he lay covered by a clo

t only shook his h

t of the same faith--Protestants! Therefore accursed

ead through the green slopes, they saw the scarlet coats of the horsemen gleaming; saw, too, a guidon blown out as its rider came forward against the wind; caught the muffled sound of innumerab

he watched them. "Be calm.

ridge again and continue

ark gray; the others on either side of him were rich in scarlet coats much guarded with galloon, the evening sun flickering on the lace and causing it to sparkle like burnished gold, and with large laced three

Be sure that when he comes with the soldiery the worst is to be dreaded. That

re to-night; afterward, inquiry will show that we ha

ther end of the bridge from where these two men stood side by side; then the officer on the right gave the orders for all follo

hispered. "The other is the Marquis du Chaila, the de

halted their horses, though not until he and his companions had turned their eyes to the burned house, from whi

ave been mistaken?--of whose cruelty to the Protestants as well as his fierce and overbearing nature not only all the province rang, but also other parts of the

u, at least," and he directed his glance to the pastor. "Monsieur André Buscarl

; and now, Martin observed, he trembled no more, but answ

been barbarously murdered by you and your brood. Oh, fear no

leman whom you term 'vagabond' has had no part nor share in your uncle's murder. Neither has his flock. T

re another Protestant, I should supp

t no person in this village had any hand in the abbé's mur

erable," Baville interposed. "I am the king's I

d all on the bridge. Some of these men had been engaged in tethering their horses close by the hedge, several of

! my father's brother slaughtered thus. Devils!" he exclaimed, turning round and glancing up the long street, imagining probably that the inhabitants were all within their hou

of his complexion. Yet, even as Martin observed him blench, he wondered why he should do so. Countless men and feeble women and children had gone to the gibbet, the fire, the wheel, and the rack, as well as to the galleys and the lash, at this man's order

, he spoke of how he was doomed because he served God. Baville!--de Peyre! give the orders to fall on, to destroy all. Otherwise I make my way to the king of the north and c

who had already torn his sword from its scabbard and stood before them gesticulating like a madman in his grief and r

aimed together in their surpri

ere came another look, also the re

s in one breath that they are guiltless, in ano

your Church spares not the innocent; tha

m, belying the terrible accusation which lay beneath this word. Terribl

der. "Pause. Look back. Twenty-seven Protestants h

ring words enough to affright the boldest, "or I will have you gagge

to the marq

st in the holy work. Meanwhile, de Peyre, send your men into every house in the place; see if this abandonment is true. If not, if you find any, bring them before me. As for you, an

n. Otherwise you wou

s words, low as they were. "You yourself have

of the dragoons to enter and search every house in the village, and the marquis, who was in command of the milices, b

hink, of this locality. Yet I observe you are

rance. I am a proprietor; the property o

is fixed resolve to declare it, as, had it been possible for Baville to recognise that he was an Englishman--which, after his earliest years being spe

young and immoral king (the king now so old and self-righteous!), purchased this property from the Baron Duplan La Rose, a man himself broken and ruined by his participation in the outbreaks of the Fronde. Purchased it because a

he was a great believer in les propriétaires as men who were almost always opposed to the murmurings and discontents of the can

ly--to--perhaps"--and his eyes rested pi

son. A connection by marriage. A man who has been wronged, has partly

the name of

over forty years ago. That which he has adopted I can

the eyes of the other man, "would he be, do you think,

wo

he has been here for the forty years you speak of. Now, sir," and he left this subject to speak of that which had brought him to Montvert, "I must beg you will accompany us to Alais. As a visitor to the n

I do now, when I tell you that neither Monsieur Buscarlet nor any of th

lad to be assured of that," Ba