‘How could you, brother!’ cried Annora, waiting outside the door.  ‘Now you have owned yourself in the wrong!’

‘I have not said so, Nan,’ he answered.  ’I have simply said I was sorry to have offended my mother, and that is true; I could not sleep under her displeasure.’

’But you do not care about ruining yourself with this perfidious foreign Court.’

‘Not a rush, so long as I do not bring Meg and her son into danger.’

Things were quiet that night, but every one knew that it was only a lull in the storm.

I set off to morning mass with my son and little Armantine as usual, thinking all would be quiet so early in our part of the city, but before the service was over there was the dull roar of the populace in a fury to be heard in the distance, and Nicole met me at the church door entreating me to get home as quickly as possible.

To my dismay there was a large heavy chain across the end of the street, not such as to stop foot passengers, but barring the way against carriages, and the street was fast filling with shopkeepers, apprentices, market-women, and all sorts of people.  The children clung to my hands, half frightened and half eager.  Suddenly we saw a carriage stopped by the chain, and the people crowding round it.  Out of it sprang two gentlemen and a lady, and began hurrying forward like people hunted.  I drew the children back into the church porch, and was shocked to see that those who were then fleeing in haste and terror were the Chancellor, M. Seguier, with his brother, the Bishop of Meaux, and his daughter the beautiful young Duchess de Sully.  I tried to attract their attention and draw them into the church as a place of safety, but they were in too much haste and terror to perceive me, and a man began shouting after them: 

’To arms, friends, to arms!  There’s the enemy.  Kill him! and we shall have vengeance for all we suffer!’

The mob rushed after, shouting horribly.  Armantine began to cry, and I took her in my arms, while Nicole held my son.

The whole crowd rushed past us, never heeding us, as we stood above them, and as we were only thirty yards from home I hoped soon to reach it, though I hesitated, as the screeches, yells, and howls were still to be heard lower down the street, and fresh parties of men, women, and children kept rushing down to join the throng.  If it should surge back again before we could get home, what would become of us?

Suddenly Gaspard cried out:  ‘My uncle!’ And there was indeed my brother.  ‘Good heavens!’ he cried, ’you there, sister!  They told me you were gone to church, but I could hardly believe it!  Come home before the mob comes back.’