There was no show of resistance whatever, for the Duc de Nemours had made it his first care to seize the stacks of arms.
Mazères and Raunay had been obliged to surrender without striking a blow; and just at the moment when Castelnau looked down from the battlements, his troops, conquered without a struggle, were handing their swords to the enemy. On the spot where he had thought he should see his soldiers, he saw nought but a band of prisoners.
He could scarcely believe his eyes. For a moment he stood motionless, stupefied, bewildered, and speechless. Such an event was so entirely at variance with his thoughts that at first he found it difficult to understand it.
Gabriel, who was less surprised at this sudden blew, was no less overwhelmed.
As they stood gazing at each other, equally pale and dejected, an ensign entered hastily in search of Castelnau.
"What is the condition of affairs?" the latter asked him, recovering his voice, by force of his anxiety.
"Monsieur le Baron," the ensign replied, "they have gained possession of the drawbridge and the first gate. We only had time to close the second one; but we shall not be able to hold it, and in less than a quarter of an hour they will be in the courtyard. Shall we, nevertheless, try to resist, or send them a flag of truce? We await your orders."
"Give me but time to put on my armor, and I will come down," said Castelnau.
He hastened into one of the apartments of the château to buckle on his sword and cuirass, and Gabriel followed him.
"What do you propose to do?" he asked him, sadly.