Page:Life of Louis Philippe, late king of the French.pdf/8

8 set out amidst hisses and a torrent of abuse; I gave my arm to one of the men, and the mayor was on the other side. The priest walked between Messrs Dubois and d'Albis. Not thinking at tho moment, I unluckily took the direction towards Paris. The mayor asked one of the men where he would wish to go; he answered, 'To Blois.' It was directly the contrary way from that which we were taking. The mayor wished to return, and to pass across the whole town. I opposed this, and we changed our direction, but without going back through the streets. We passed a little wooden bridge of a few planks without rails; there the mob cried to throw them into the river, and endeavoured, by putting sticks across, to make them fall into the water. I again reminded them of their promise, and they became quiet. When we were about a mile ont of the town, some of tho conntry people came running down the hill, and threw themselves upon us, calling out, 'Hang or drown the two rascals ! One of them seized one of the poor wretches by the coat, and the crowd. rushing in, forced away the mayor and M. d'Albis. I remained alone with M. Dubois, and we endeavoured to make the poasant loose his hold. I held one of the men by one hand, and by the other endeavoured to free the coat. At last one of the national guard arrived to our assistance, and by force cleared the man. The crowd was still increasing. It is but justice to the people of Vendôme to say that they kept their word, and tried to induce the peasants to do no violence to the men. Sceing, however, that if I continued my march, some misfortune must inevitably occur, I cried we must take them to prison, and then all the people cried, 'To prison! to prison !' Some voices cried, 'They must ask pardon of God, and thank M. de Chartres for their lives. That was soon done, and we set out for the prison. As we went along, one