Thenextdaytheduke,accompaniedbyGeneralLagarde,leftforMontpellier;andasitwasonthelatterthattheProtestantsplacedtheirsolerelianceforthemaintenanceofthoserightsguaranteedforthefuturebythewordoftheprince,theyhesitatedtotakeanynewstepinhisabsence,andletthe9thofNovembergobywithoutattemptingtoresumepublicworship,preferringtowaitforthereturnoftheirprotector,whichtookplaceonSaturdayeveningthe11thofNovember。
　　Whenthegeneralgotback,hisfirstthoughtwastoaskifthecommandsoftheprincehadbeencarriedout,andwhenheheardthattheyhadnot,withoutwaitingtohearawordinjustificationofthedelay,hesentapositiveordertothepresidentoftheConsistorytoopenbothplacesofworshipthenextmorning。
　　Uponthis,thepresidentcarryingself—abnegationandprudencetotheirextremelimits,wenttothegeneral'squarters,andhavingwarmlythankedhim,laidbeforehimthedangerstowhichhewouldexposehimselfbyrunningcountertotheopinionsofthosewhohadhadtheirownwayinthecityforthelastfourmonths。ButGeneralLagardebrushedalltheseconsiderationsaside:hehadreceivedanorderfromtheprince,andtoamanofhismilitarycastofmindnocoursewasopenbuttocarrythatorderout。
　　Nevertheless,thepresidentagainexpressedhisdoubtsandfears。
　　"Iwillanswerwithmyhead,"saidthegeneral,"thatnothinghappens。"Stillthepresidentcounselledprudence,askingthatonlyoneplaceofworshipatfirstbeopened,andtothisthegeneralgavehisconsent。
　　Thiscontinuedresistancetothere—establishmentofpublicworshiponthepartofthosewhomosteagerlydesireditenabledthegeneralatlasttorealisetheextentofthedangerwhichwouldbeincurredbythecarryingoutofthismeasure,andheatoncetookallpossibleprecautions。Underthepretextthathewasgoingto—haveageneralreview,hebroughttheentirecivilandmilitaryforcesofNimesunderhisauthority,determined,ifnecessary,tousetheonetosuppresstheother。Asearlyaseighto'clockinthemorningaguardofgensd'armeswasstationedatthedoorsofthemeeting—house,whileothermembersofthesameforcetookuptheirpositionsintheadjacentstreets。Ontheotherhand,theConsistoryhaddecidedthatthedoorsweretobeopenedanhoursoonerthanusual,thatthebellswerenottoberung,andthattheorganshouldbesilent。
　　Theseprecautionshadbothagoodandabadside。Thegensd'armesatthedoorofthemeetinghousegaveifnotapromiseofsecurityatleastapromiseofsupport,buttheyshowedtothecitizensoftheotherpartywhatwasabouttobedone;sobeforenineo'clockgroupsofCatholicsbegantoform,andasithappenedtobeSundaytheinhabitantsoftheneighbouringvillagesarrivingconstantlybytwosandthreessoonunitedthesegroupsintoalittlearmy。Thusthestreetsleadingtothechurchbeingthronged,theProtestantswhopushedtheirwaythroughweregreetedwithinsultingremarks,andeventhepresidentoftheConsistory,whosewhite,hairanddignifiedexpressionhadnoeffectuponthemob,heardthepeopleroundhimsaying,"ThesebrigandsofProtestantsaregoingagaintotheirtemple,butweshallsoongivethemenoughofit。"
　　Theangerofthepopulacesoongrowshot;betweenthefirstbubbleandtheboiling—pointtheintervalisshort。Threatsspokeninalowvoiceweresoonsucceededbynoisyobjurgations。Women,children,andmenbrakeoutintoyells,"Downwiththebroilers！"（forthiswasoneofthenamesbywhichtheProtestantsweredesignated）。"Downwiththebroilers！Wedonotwanttoseethemusingourchurches:
　　letthemgiveusbackourchurches;letthemgiveusbackourchurches,andgotothedesert。Outwiththem！Outwiththem！Tothedesert！Tothedesert！"
　　Asthecrowddidnotgobeyondwords,howeverinsulting,andastheProtestantswerelonginuredtomuchworsethings,theyploddedalongtotheirmeeting—house,humbleandsilent,andwentin,undeterredbythedispleasuretheyaroused,whereupontheservicecommenced。
　　ButsomeCatholicswentinwiththem,andsoonthesameshoutswhichhadbeenheardwithoutwereheardalsowithin。Thegeneral,however,wasonthealert,andassoonastheshoutsaroseinsidethegensd'armesenteredthechurchandarrestedthosewhohadcausedthedisturbance。Thecrowdstriedtorescuethemontheirwaytoprison,butthegeneralappearedattheheadofimposingforces,atthesightofwhichtheydesisted。Anapparentcamsucceededthetumult,andthepublicworshipwentonwithoutfurtherinterruption。
　　Thegeneral,misledbyappearances,wentoffhimselftoattendamilitarymass,andateleveno'clockreturnedtohisquartersforlunch。Hisabsencewasimmediatelyperceivedandtakenadvantageof。
　　Inthe:twinklingofaneye,thecrowds,whichhaddispersed,gatheredtogetherinevengreaternumbersandtheProtestants,seeingthemselvesoncemoreindanger,shutthedoorsfromwithin,whilethegensd'armesguardedthemwithout。Thepopulacepressedsocloselyroundthegensd'armes,andassumedsuchathreateningattitude,thatfearingheandhismenwouldnotbeabletoholdtheirowninsuchathrong,thecaptainorderedM。Delbose,oneofhisofficers,torideoffandwarnthegeneral。Heforcedhiswaythroughthecrowdwithgreattrouble,andwentoffatagallop。Onseeingthis,thepeoplefelttherewasnotimetobelost;theyknewofwhatkindthegeneralwas,andthathewouldbeonthespotinaquarterofanhour。A
　　largecrowdisinvinciblethroughitsnumbers;ithasonlytopressforward,andeverythinggivesway,men,wood,iron。Atthismomentthecrowd,swayedbyacommonimpulse,sweptforward,thegensd'armesandtheirhorseswerecrushedagainstthewall,doorsgaveway,andinstantlywithatremendousroaralivingwavefloodedthechurch。Criesofterrorandfrightfulimprecationswereheardonallsides,everyonemadeaweaponofwhatevercametohand,chairsandbencheswerehurledabout,thedisorderwasatitsheight;itseemedasifthedaysoftheMicheladeandtheBagarrewereabouttoreturn,whensuddenlythenewsofaterribleeventwasspreadabroad,andassailantsandassailedpausedinhorror。GeneralLagardehadjustbeenassassinated。
　　Asthecrowdhadforeseen,nosoonerdidthemessengerdeliverhismessagethanthegeneralsprangonhishorse,and,beingtoobrave,orperhapstooscornful,tofearsuchfoes,hewaitedfornoescort,but,accompaniedbytwoorthreeofficers,setoffatfullgalloptowardsthesceneofthetumult。Hehadpassedthroughthenarrowstreetswhichledtothemeeting—housebypushingthecrowdasidewithhishorse'schest,when,justashegotoutintotheopensquare,ayoungmannamedBoisson,asergeantintheNimesNationalGuard,cameupandseemedtowishtospeaktohim。Thegeneralseeingamaninuniform,bentdownwithoutathoughtofdangertolistentowhathehadtosay,whereuponBoissondrewapistoloutandfiredathim。Theballbrokethecollar—boneandlodgedintheneckbehindthecarotidartery,andthegeneralfellfromhishorse。
　　Thenewsofthiscrimehadastrangeandunexpectedeffect;howeverexcitedandfrenziedthecrowdwas,itinstantlyrealisedtheconsequencesofthisact。ItwasnolongerlikethemurderofMarshalBruneatAvignonorGeneralRamelatToulouse,anactofvengeanceonafavouriteofNapoleon,butopenandarmedrebellionagainsttheking。Itwasnotasimplemurder,itwashightreason。
　　Afeelingoftheutmostterrorspreadthroughthetown;onlyafewfanaticswentonhowlinginthechurch,whichtheProtestants,fearingstillgreaterdisasters,hadbythistimeresolvedtoabandon。ThefirsttocomeoutwasPresidentOlivierDesmonts,accompaniedbyM。Vallongues,whohadonlyjustarrivedinthecity,butwhohadimmediatelyhurriedtothespotatthecallofduty。
　　M。Juillerat,histwochildreninhisarms,walkedbehindthem,followedbyalltheotherworshippers。Atfirstthecrowd,threateningandireful,hootedandthrewstonesatthem,butatthevoiceofthemayorandthedignifiedaspectofthepresidenttheyallowedthemtopass。DuringthisstrangeretreatovereightyProtestantswerewounded,butnotfatally,exceptayounggirlcalledJeannetteCornilliere,whohadbeensobeatenandill—usedthatshediedofherinjuriesafewdayslater。
　　InspiteofthemomentaryslackeningofenergywhichfollowedtheassassinationofGeneralLagarde,theCatholicsdidnotremainlonginastateoftotalinaction。Duringtherestofthedaytheexcitedpopulaceseemedasifshakenbyanearthquake。Aboutsixo'clockintheevening,someofthemostdesperatecharactersinthetownpossessedthemselvesofahatchet,and,takingtheirwaytotheProtestantchurch,smashedthedoors,torethepastors'gowns,rifledthepoor—box,andpulledthebookstopieces。Adetachmentoftroopsarrivedjustintimetopreventtheirsettingthebuildingonfire。
　　Thenextdaypassedmorequietly。Thistimethedisorderswereoftooimportantanaturefortheprefecttoignore,ashehadignoredsomanybloodyactsinthepast;soinduetimeafullreportwaslaidbeforetheking。ItbecameknowthesameeveningthatGeneralLagardewasstillliving,andthatthosearoundhimhopedthatthewoundwouldnotprovemortal。Dr。Delpech,whohadbeensummonedfromMontpellier,hadsucceededinextractingthebullet,andthoughhespokenowordofhope,hedidnotexpresslydeclarethatthecasewashopeless。
　　Twodayslatereverythinginthetownhadassumeditsordinaryaspect,andonthe21stofNovemberthekingissuedthefollowingedict:——
　　"Louis,bythegraceofGod,KingofFranceandofNavarre,"Toallthosetowhomthesepresentsshallcome,greeting:
　　"AnabominablecrimehascastastainonOurcityofNimes。
　　AseditiousmobhasdaredtoopposetheopeningoftheProtestantplaceofworship,incontemptoftheconstitutionalcharter,whichwhileitrecognisestheCatholicreligionasthereligionoftheState,guaranteestotheotherreligiousbodiesprotectionandfreedomofworship。Ourmilitarycommandant,whilsttryingtodispersethesecrowdsbygentlemeansbeforehavingresorttoforce,wasshotdown,andhisassassinhastillnowsuccessfullyevadedthearmofthelaw。Ifsuchanoutrageweretoremainunpunished,themaintenanceofgoodgovernmentandpublicorderwouldbeimpossible,andOurministerswouldbeguiltyofneglectingthelaw。
　　"WhereforeWehaveorderedanddoorderasfollows:
　　"Art。1。ProceedingsshallbecommencedwithoutdelaybyOurattorney,andtheattorney—general,againsttheperpetratorofthemurderousattackonthepersonofSieurLagarde,andagainsttheauthors,instigators,andaccomplicesoftheinsurrectionwhichtookplaceinthecityofNimesonthe12thofthepresentmonth。
　　"Art。2。Asufficientnumberoftroopsshallbequarteredinthesaidcity,andshallremainthereatthecostoftheinhabitants,untiltheassassinandhisaccompliceshavebeenproducedbeforeacourtoflaw。
　　"Art。3。AllthosecitizenswhosenamesarenotentitledtobeontherolloftheNationalGuardshallbedisarmed。
　　"OurKeeperoftheSeals,OurMinisterofWar,OurMinisteroftheInterior,andOurMinisterofPolice,areentrustedwiththeexecutionofthisedict。
　　"GivenatParisatOurCastleoftheTuileriesonthe2lstofNovemberintheyearofgrace1815,andofOurreignthe21st。
　　（Signed）Louis"
　　Boissinwasacquitted。
　　ThiswasthelastcrimecommittedintheSouth,anditledfortunatelytonoreprisals。
　　Threemonthsafterthemurderousattempttowhichhehadsonearlyfallenavictim,GeneralLagardeleftNimeswiththerankofambassador,andwassucceededasprefectbyM。d'Argont。
　　Duringthefirm,just,andindependentadministrationofthelatter,thedisarmingofthecitizensdecreedbytheroyaledictwascarriedoutwithoutbloodshed。
　　Throughhisinfluence,MM。Chabot—Latour,Saint—Aulaire,andLascourwereelectedtotheChamberofDeputiesinplaceofMM。DeCalviere,DeVogue,andDeTrinquelade。
　　AnddowntothepresenttimethenameofM。d'ArgontisheldinvenerationatNimes,asifhehadonlyquittedthecityyesterday。