The company was still sitting at desert and sipping choice wines, when, suddenly, a great uproar was raised in the house, several men's footsteps were heard hastening up the steps, the doors burst open and in rushed the clergyman of St. Sulpice, pale, and trembling, followed by a few citizens, and among these a young man who seemed quite beside himself, "What is the matter?" demanded the Marshal in an authoritative tone, and the Intendant arose and addressed himself to the young citizen. "Now Clement," said he, "recollect yourself, what has happened to you?" "Is not this the leader of the city militia at Nismes?" asked the Marshal with contempt.
"Even so," replied the Lord of Basville, "he led the troop of volunteers." "He seems to have lost the power of speech in his expedition," said the Lord of Montrevel, laughing.
"They are behind us--they will be here directly," stammered out young Clement.
"Who?" enquired the Marshal, who had resumed his seat.
"Cavalier and the Camisards!" cried the young man.
"Not so bad, not quite so bad as that," rejoined the priest, who seemed more composed. "But our troop is totally defeated and the rebels have been all along in our rear, and they have the insolence to appear on the plain of Nismes, as if they were going to threaten the town itself."
"Thus it is," said the Marshal cuttingly, "when citizens meddle with affairs to which they are not equal; give the young man a glass of wine to revive him." Casting at the same time a side glance at the Intendant, "Sit down reverend priest," he continued, "you appear more composed, give us a little more circumstantial account."
"According to the order of the gracious Lord Marshal," said the priest, bowing profoundly, "We set fire yesterday to the village, which had furnished provisions to the rebels, when they had quartered themselves there; we then set out five hundred men strong, and three hundred soldiers marched at the same time, with a hundred dragoons on the other side of the river. The wretched, burned out creatures ran howling into the wood and we pursued our way whilst we saw about a hundred rebels flying before us. Behind the wood we joined the royal troops and surrounded the vineyards on three sides near Nages. Some Camisards showed themselves sideways, who, however, after a few shots disappeared, We now advanced on the right, the soldiers on the left, in between the mountains; we fell among the brambles, and--as if fire was vomited forth from all sides, balls flew in among us without our being able to see any one, we hesitate, we halt. Now the villains in the mountains spring to their feet yelling and psalm-singing bellow down upon us, together with hissing balls; we defend ourselves and put our hopes in the royal troops, but the superiority is too great, our people fall, we are compelled to retreat. Difficult enough it was to retire from the mountains, the greater part of our men remain lying there: arriving on the plain, there we beheld the military also beaten and taking flight."
"Defeated!" screamed the Marshal.
"They are most likely following us," replied the priest.