The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-01

tary sOftness faded from his iron fea-
lures, leaving them sterner than before.
When he resumed, his tone was deeper
and more solemn.
" But although NJ. lie Marquis escaped |
| for that time, his day was near at hand
| for now came news that the people had |
marched upon Versailles, that the king
and queen had been brought to Paris, |
that the tiers were upin every part of the |
country, and that the Assemble Nation |
ale had decreed the abolition of taxa
ton, monopoly and aristOratic opDres- |
sion, and had pronounced all men free |
and equal for evermOre. Every fresh
bit of news worked like fire in our
blood and at last the people of Basan- |
CON got up as one man and swOre that. |
come what might, they would have the
chateau de QuesnOy down, and make
an end of the old wolf that lived in it, |
and up they went hundreds upon hun
dreds.
&c can remember as if it were yester-
day, seeing them filing out of the town,
their pike-heads glittGring in the sun,
and the mass of red caps showing like
long smear of bloodupon the white road;
and L, as boy will do, followed them
to see what would happen. They had
expected to lind the chateau barricaded,
| ASlANA w IANSC "At4 SoiAIC 4C5lSltuCtS DUI
no! the garden gate was open-sO was
the hall dOOr-and on the threshold
stood the old marquis himself, saying
quietly: Enter-all 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 and laughter, and
scraps of Republican songs, till every
room was chock full; and the leaders
took possession of the great banquet
hall, and set M. le Marquis in the great
carved chair ut the head of the table,
swearing that he should see them drink
his good wine before they killed him.
And there they revelled until 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 nightfall (I
had climbed into tree nearthe the win
dow, and could seea all that wentOn) Tsaw
old Mercand0n, the steward, glide up to
his masters chair, and say in low
voice;
"'M. lie Marquis, all is ready!'
Are 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 aswered with kind of sob :
r M. le marquis, carried you in my arms
t when you were a child, and do you drive
me away 9aOlU?'
go As you will, then, my good fellow
said the marquis L 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 had sat like q
. statue. and looked round upon them
| al:) Monsieur, if live to be a hundred
| shall never forget that sight the old
l noble standing up like. tower, with
8 the long gray hair falling back from
D his grand calm face; the great vaulted
t hall, with its huge groined arches, and
/ dark paneling of oak; the coarse fig-
= nres of the peasants lOlling in the great
|, chairs OF wallOWing upon the floor
4 their rough faces all swollen and dis
e figured by drink and fury, and lust OF
= blO0d-the red torehlight haring fitful.
t ~ over all. There was that in the
d old mans face which silenced the loud
= est of the rioters; and you might have
heard a pin fall as he spoke:
It "'Worthy guests, You have done hon
} or to my good cheer, and it is time that
It thank you as you deserve. This ii
: the first time that my chateau hat
d been defled by the h6ofs of Republican
w |
t. tell your master, the devil, how the las
d of the De Quesnoys repaid your inso
Ls lence. Vive le roit
i. "He seized q tlambeau which stoot
II near him, and, STOPPING lifted q trap
d door in the floor, and dropped tht
d torch through it. And then (GOd pre-
Is serve us] came a crash as if the eartl
E, had split asunder, and all the air wa
e one hot blast of fire, and felt q shOcl
!" like an earthquake, and knew nothini
Ia more. .E -.e ,-. ,.z >
"Wlen came to myself I was lyinI
II on the soft earth of one of the flowe
}; be4d5s-dlzzy and stunned, as if Ina,
ir Fallen from the top of tower, but
;: thank God, unhurti But, Holy Virgin
'. what q sight it was when ] locke
= round! All about me was reek O
er smoke and dust as from the mouth O
d furnace and dimly through the chou
" | could see, on the spot where the cha
10 team had stood, black, broken walls
H. and great masses of stone flung her
n, and there and smoking ti1nbers, an
q worse than tllat-legs, and arms, an
le heads scattered on every side like tn
IA leaves in the autumn. The mardui
ne had filled the cellars with gunpOwde,
70 and OF all who entered the chateau, ne
n, one was left alive! May the good Go
j, have mercy upon their souls!" ..
10 HThe legend of Bluebeard does not exaggera
Us the atrocities Of this inearnate fiend who aft
at committing thousand real crimes with imp
to nifty, was at length burned alive on an absItl
a. charge OF sorcery. ..4
as Mr.. Beecher does not. seem to entel
y y tain q very high opinion of some Of tt
lt literature that is to be found in churc
sc and Sunday school libraries, and in +,
OF liEin11a rarindicals In his nnl1tanr, .