hanged　like　brigands。　　His　sole　answer　was　an　inclination　of　the　head
  as　he　turned　and　led　the　way　to　his　little　escort。　　M。　de　Lalande
  followed　him　with　perfect　confidence；　and；　passing　by　the　eight
  horsemen　who　were　grouped　on　the　road；　he　walked　up　to　the　infantry；
  and　taking　out　of　his　pocket　a　handful　of　gold；　he　scattered　it
  before　them；　saying：
  〃There；　my　men！　that　is　to　drink　the　king's　health　with。〃
  Not　a　man　stooped　to　pick　the　money　up；　and　one　of　them　said；　shaking
  his　head
  〃It　is　not　money　we　want；　but　liberty　of　conscience。〃
  〃My　men；〃　answered　Lalande；　〃it　is　unfortunately　not　in　my　power　to
  grant　your　demand；　but　I　advise　you　to　submit　to　the　king's　will　；and
  trust　in　his　clemency。〃
  〃Sir；〃　answered　Cavalier；　〃we　are　all　ready　to　obey　him；　provided
  that　he　graciously　grant　us　our　just　demands；　if　not；　we　shall　die
  weapon　in　hand；　rather　than　expose　ourselves　once　more　to　such
  outrages　as　have　already　been　inflicted　on　us。〃
  〃Your　demands　shall　be　transmitted　word　for　word　to　M。　de　Villars；
  who　will　lay　them　before　the　king；〃　said　Lalande；　〃and　you　may　be
  sure；　sir；　that　my　most　sincere　wish　is　that　His　Majesty　may　not　find
  them　exorbitant。〃
  With　these　words；　M。　de　Lalande　saluted　Cavalier；　and　turned　to
  rejoin　his　escort；　but　Cavalier；　wishing　to　return　confidence　with
  confidence；　crossed　the　bridge　with　him；　and　accompanied　the　general
  to　where　his　soldiers　had　halted。　　There；　with　another　salute；　the
  two　chiefs　parted；　M。　de　Lalande　taking　the　road　to　Uzes；　while
  Cavalier　rejoined　his　comrades。
  Meantime　d'Aygaliers；　who；　as　we　have　seen；　had　not　left　Uzes　until
  the　5th　May；　in　order　to　join　Cavalier；　did　not　come　up　with　him
  until　the　13th；　that　is　to　say；　the　day　after　his　conference　with
  Lalande。　　D'Aygaliers　gives　us　an　account　of　their　interview；　and　we
  cannot　do　better　than　quote　it。
  〃Although　it　was　the　first　time　that　we　had　met　face　to　face；　we
  embraced　each　other　as　if　we　were　old　acquaintances。　　My　little　band
  mixed　with　his　and　sang　psalms　together；　while　Cavalier　and　I　talked。
  I　was　very　much　pleased　with　what；　he　said；　and　convinced　him　without
  difficulty　that　he　should　submit　for　the　sake　of　the　brethren；　who
  could　then　choose　whichever　course　best　suited　them；　and　either　leave
  the　kingdom　or　serve　the　king。　　I　said　that　I　believed　the　last
  course　to　be　the　best；　provided　we　were　allowed　to　worship　God
  according　to　our　consciences；　because　I　hoped　that；　seeing　their
  faithful　service；　His　Majesty　would　recognise　that　he　had　been
  imposed　upon　by　those　who　had　described　us　as　disloyal　subjects；　and
  that　we　should　thus　obtain　for　the　whole　nation　that　liberty　of
  conscience　which　had　been　granted　to　us；　that　in　no　other　way；　as　far
  as　I　could　see；　could　our　deplorable　condition　be　ameliorated；　for
  although　Cavalier　and　his　men　might　be　able　to　exist　for　some　time
  longer　in　the　forests　and　mountains；　they　would　never　be　strong
  enough　to　save　the　inhabitants　of　towns　and　other　enclosed　places
  from　perishing。
  〃Upon　this　he　replied；　that　although　the　Catholics　seldom　kept　a
  promise　made　to　those　of　our　religion；　he　was　willing　to　risk　his
  life　for　the　welfare　of　his　brethren　and　the　province　but　that　he
  trusted　if　he　confided　in　the　clemency　of　the　king　for　whom　he　had
  never　ceased　to　pray；　no　harm　would　happen　him。〃
  Thereupon　d'Aygaliers；　delighted　to　find　him　so　well　inclined；　begged
  him　to　give　him　a　letter　for　M。　de　Villars；　and　as　Cavalier　knew　the
  marechal　to　be　loyal　and　zealous；　and　had　great　confidence　in　him；　he
  wrote　without　any　hesitation　the　following　letter：
  〃MONSEIGNEUR；Permit　me　to　address　your　Excellency　in　order　to　beg
  humbly　for　the　favour　of　your　protection　for　myself　and　for　my
  soldiers。　　We　are　filled　with　the　most　ardent　desire　to　repair　the
  fault　which　we　have　committed　by　bearing　arms；　not　against　the　king；
  as　our　enemies　have　so　falsely　asserted；　but　to　defend　our　lives
  against　those　who　persecuted　us；　attacking　us　so　fiercely　that　we
  believed　it　was　done　by　order　of　His　Majesty。　　We　know　that　it　was
  written　by　St。　Paul　that　subjects　ought　to　submit　themselves　to　their
  king；　and　if　in　spite　of　these　sincere　protestations　our　sovereign
  should　still　demand　our　blood；　we　shall　soon　be　ready　to　throw
  ourselves　on　his　justice　or　his　mercy；　but　we　should；　Monseigneur；
  regard　ourselves　as　happy；　if　His　Majesty；　moved　by　our　repentance；
  would　grant　us　his　pardon　and　receive　us　into　his　service；　according
  to　the　example　of　the　God　of　mercy　whose　representative　His　Majesty
  is　on　earth。　　We　trust；　Monseigneur；　by　our　faithfulness　and　zeal　to
  acquire　the　honour　of　your　protection；　and　we　glory　in　the　thought　of
  being　permitted；　under　the　command　of　such　an　illustrious　and
  noble…minded　general　as　yourself；　to　shed　our　blood　for　the　king；
  this　being　so；　I　hope　that　your　Excellency　will　be　pleased　to　allow
  me　to　inscribe　myself　with　profound　respect　and　humility；
  Monseigneur；　your　most　humble　and　obedient　servant；
  〃CAVALIER。〃
  D'Aygaliers；　as　soon　as　he　got　possession　of　this　letter；　set　out　for
  Nimes　in　the　best　of　spirits；　for　he　felt　sure　that　he　was　bringing
  M。　de　Villars　more　than　he　had　expected。　　And；　indeed；　as　soon　as　the
  marechal　saw　how　far　things　had　gone；　in　spite　of　everything　that
  Lalande　could　say；　who　in　his　jealousy　asserted　that　d'Aygaliers
  would　spoil　everything；　he　sent　him　back　to　Cavalier　with　an
  invitation　to　come　to　Nimes。　　D'Aygaliers　set　out　at　once；　promising
  to　bring　the　young　chief　back　with　him；　at　which　Lalande　laughed
  loudly；　pretending　to　be　very　much　amused　at　the　baron's　confident
  way　of　speaking；　and　protesting　that　Cavalier　would　not　come。
  In　the　meantime　events　were　happening　in　the　mountains　which　might
  easily　have　changed　the　state　of　mind　of　the　young　chief。　　The　Comte
  de　Tournan；　who　was　in　command　at　Florae；　had　encountered　Roland's
  army　in　the　plain　of　Fondmortes；　and　had　lost　two　hundred　men；　a
  considerable　sum　of　money；　and　eighty　mules　loaded　with　provisions。
  The　anxiety　which　this　news　caused　to　M。　de　Villars　was　soon
  relieved；　for　six　days　after　the　defeat　he　received　a　letter　from
  Cavalier　by　the　hands　of　Lacombe；　the　same　who　had　brought　about　the
  interview　on　the　bridge　of　Avenes。　　In　this　letter　Cavalier　expressed
  the　greatest　regret　for　what　had　just　happened。
  D'Aygaliers　therefore　found　Cavalier　in　the　best　of　humours　when　he
  joined　him　at　Tarnac。　　The　first　feeling　that　the　young　chief　felt　on
  receiving　the　invitation　was　one　of　stupefaction；　for　an　interview
  with　the　marechal　was　an　honour　so　unexpected　and　so　great；　that　his
  impression　was　that　some　treason　lay　behind　it；　but　he　was　soon
  reassured　when　he　recalled　the　character　for　loyalty　which　the
  marechal　bore；　and　how　impossible　it　was　that　d'Aygaliers　should　lend
  himself　to　treachery。　　So　Cavalier　sent　back　word　that　he　would　obey
  the　marechal's　orders；　and　that　he　put　himself　entirely　into　his
  hands　in　what　concerned　the　arrangements　for　the　interview。　　M。　de
  Villars　let　him　know　that　he　would　expect　him　on　the　16th　in　the
  garden　of　the　convent　of　the　Recollets　of　Nimes；　which　lay　just
  outside　the　city；　between　the　gates　of　Beaucaire　and　the　Madeleine；
  and　that　Lalande　would　meet　him　beyond　Carayrac　to　receive　him　and　to
  bring　him　hostages。
  CHAPTER　IV
  On　the　15th　May　Cavalier　set　out　from　Tarnac　at　the　head　of　one
  hundred　and　sixty　foot…soldiers　and　fifty　horse；　he　was　accompanied
  by　his　young　brother　and　by　d'Aygaliers　and　Lacombe。　　They　all　passed
  the　night　at　Langlade。
  The　next　day　they　set　out　for　Nimes；　and；　as　had　been　agreed　upon；
  were　met　by　Lalande　between　Saint…Cesaire　and　Carayrac。　　Lalande
  advanced　to　greet　Cavalier　and　present　the　hostages　to　him。　These
  hostages　were　M。　de　La　Duretiere；　captain　of　the　Fimarcon　regiment；　a
  captain　of　infantry；　several　other　officers；　and　ten　dragoons。
  Cavalier　passed　them　over　to　his　lieutenant；　Ravanel；　who　was　in
  command　of　the　infantry；　and　left　them　in　his　charge　at
  Saint…Cesaire。　　The　cavalry　accompanied　him　to　within　a　musket…shot
  of　Nimes；　and　encamped　upon　the　heights。　　Besides　this；　Cavalier
  posted　sentinels　and　mounted　orderlies　at　all　the　approaches　to　the
  camp；　and　even　as　far　off　as　the　fountain　of　Diana　and　the　tennis…
  court。　　These　precautions　taken；　he　entered　the　city；　accompanied　by
  his　brother；　d'Aygaliers；　Lacombe；　and　a　body…guard　of　eighteen
  cavalry；　commanded　by　Catinat。　　Lalande　rode　on　before　to　announce
  their　arrival　to　the　marechal；　whom　he　found　waiting　with　MM。　de
  Baville　and　Sandricourt；　in　the　garden　of　the　Recollets；　dreading
  every　moment　to　receive　word　that　Cavalier　had　refused　to　come；　for
  he　expected　great　results　from　this　interview。　　Lalande；　however；
  reassured　him　by　telling　him　the　young　Huguenot　was　behind。
  In　a　few　minutes　a　great　tumult　was　heard：　it　was　the　people
  hastening　to　welcome　their　hero。　　Not　a　Protestant；　except　paralytic
  old　people　and　infants　in　the　cradle；　remained　indoors；　for　the
  Huguenots；　who　had　long　looked　on　Cavalier　as　their　champion；　now
  considered　him　their　saviour；　so　that　men　and　women　threw　themselves
  under　the　feet　of　his　horse　in　their　efforts　to　kiss　the　skirts　of
  his　coat。　　It　was　more　l