The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-28
COLUMBIA, TENN, FRIDAY, JUNE %, 1872.

meet=W1th, some resistance; but, no |!
the garden- gate was Open-so was the
hall dGo1Nhd on the threshold stood
the old A4AFSfuis himself, saying quiet
ly, 'EutgtAll is ready for your There
was something in his voice and look
and manner that made them shrink,
even then but they had gone too far
to turn back. Into the chateau they
poured, with shouts of laughter, and
scraps of Republican songs, till every
room was chOck-full, and the leaders
took possession of the great banquet
hall, and sat NJ. lie Marquis in the
great carved chair at the head of the
table, swearing that he should see them
drink his good wine before they killed
him. And there they revelled till one
half of them were under the table, and
the other half could hardly stand to
light the torches which they had stuck
up round the hall. Just about night
fall Il had climed into tree near the
window, and could see all that went
on), saw old Mercandon, the steward,
glide up TO his masters chair, and say,
in low voice, M. lie Marquis, all is
ready"
care all the lackeys gomez"
"All, nj. lie Marquis"
"Go you too, then, and leave me to
finish it alone"
"But the old steward only hung his
head and answered with kind of sob.
M. lie Marquis, l carried you in my
arms when you were a child, and do
you drive me away nOw?
GAS you will, then, my good fellow
said the Marquis; Il shall at least have
one honest man beside me to the last
"And then he rose slowly to his feet
(fOr till that moment, he sat like a
statue), and looked round upon them
all. Monsieur, if 1 live to be a hum
dred, / shall never forget that sight
the old noble standing up like a
tower, with the long gray hair falling
back from his grand, calm face; the
great vaulted hall, with its huge grain
ed arches and dark panellings of oak
the coarse figures of the peasants loll-
ing i'm the great chairs or wallOwing
upon the floor, their rough faces all
swollen and disfigured by drink and
fury and lust of blood, the red torch
light fiaring fitfully over all. There
was that i'm the old mans face which
silenced the loudest of the rioters, and
you might have heard a pin fall as he
spoke.
"WOrthy guests, you have done
honor to my good cheer, and it is time
that thank you as you deserve. This
is the first time that my chateau has
been defiled by the hoOfs of Republican
canaiUe-and it shall be the last! Go,
tell your master the devil how the last
of the De Quesnoys repaid your insO-
lence. Vive lie rOin
"He seized a fambeau which stood
near him, and STOPPING down, lifted a
trap door in the floor, and dropped the
torch through it. And then (God pre-
serve us y came a crash as if the earth
had split asunder, and all the air was
one hot blast of fire; and 1 felt a shock
like an earthquake, and knew nothing
more.
"When came to myself, 1 was ly
ing ON the soft earth of one of the
flower beds, dizzy and stunned, as if l
had fallen from the top of q tower,
but, thank God, unhurt. But, Holy
Virgin! what sight it was when L
looked round! All about me was a
wreck of smoke and dust, as from the
l.louth Ofa fuI mace; and dimly through
the cloud | could see, on the spot where
the chateau had stood, black broken
walls, and great masses of stone flung
here and there, and smoking timbers.
The Mprquis had filled the cellars with
gunpoWder, and of all who entered the
cha eau, not one was left alive. May
the good God have mercy upon their
souls u-Chdn,bers Journal.