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

could show you the very tower on the
top of which he hanged Jean Perret.
for snaring game in the woods to feed
his children who were starving. Then
there was poor Simon Allezard, whose
wife he had carried of. He lay in wait
for the marquis one night, and fired at
him; but the bullet only went through
his hat, and didn't even touch him.
The marquis had no weapon but his
light rapier, and he wouldn't even con-
descend to draw that, but he wrenched
SimOn's own gun from him, and beat
out his brains with the butt-end. In
short, he did such things that we used
to cross ourselves at the very sound
of his name, just as the BretOns do at
that OF Giles de RetZ, the wicked Count
one after another It would take me
till midnight if | were to tell you all the
horrible stories heard about him as we
sat crOuched round our little spark of
fire at night, squeezing close to each
other to try and get warm, till at last
hardly dared stir out of the house for
fear of meeting him.
II was in the spring of '99-the year
of the great culbute-that Judgment
first begun to Overtake NJ. lie Marquis.
He had been away at the court for two
years, and we knew nothing of him ex-
cept that his steward kept squeezing
more and more money out of us every
month to pay for his masters fine doings
at Versailles-When all of a sudden
word got about thathe was coming and
sure enough, few days later he came,
and with him whole crowd of grand
folks that fairly filed the chateau. And
then, for several weeks together there
was nothing but feasting and drinking,
and dancing and card-playing, and
making love, all day long. Now, it
happened that among the ladies was
one who had been at cOurt-Mademoi-
selle Claire de Montalbert, they called
her-whO had shown much favor to our
young lord, Monsieur Henri, when they
were at Versailles together; but when she
came down here she seemed to have
grown tired of him, and began to smile
upon his great friend, NJ. Albert dc St.
Flotent; till, at last, as young blood
is always hot Especially when there's
a lady in the Caso), she bred a deadly
quarrel between them. One evening in
May, my cousin Perre, the soldier, who
was up at the chateau, attending upon
the colonel, came down to us and told
a terrible story. That very morning
the two young gentlemen, with Other
two to second them, had come out
of the. chateau before any one else
was stirring, and away to little
there. they fell to. NJ. Henri was /
good blade, but this time he was tot
hot to be prudent, and at the fifth pas.
be was run clean through the body
But he came of a race that always dice
hard ; and the moment he felt the stee
| pierced him, he threw himself forward
upon the sword, and shortening hi
own, ran it into M. Albert's side 81
| tiercely that the blade snapped righ
across. Then he fell down and die(
where he stood. But NJ. Albert had lit
| tie to boast of, for his wound was mortal
and two days later he died also. Ant
SO the lives of two brave men wer
thrown away for the caprice Of d wo
man-one of those great ladies WithOu
heart and without conscience, whom CO.
created to avenge the sins of the no
bIesse upon themselves.
When the news Of all this go
abroad, our people God forgive them
| began to rejoice, and to say now tina
the arlstGcrats were beginning to de
your each other, and that he who ha
robbed so many of their children kne1
now what it was to lose child himselt
But rs we afterwards learned, the oil
marquis, however he might grieve, wa
not one TO let his grief be known
When he heard the news he neye
| sighed or .trembled, but only aske
how it was with M. de st. Florent an
when they told him that the wound wa
mortal, he smiled his own cruel smil,
| and muttered to himself; " Good! Th
| DE Quesnoys always strike home
And after that he never mentioned hi
sons name again. ... ...-. ... ::
Well, Monsieur, few months late
came the news of the fall of the Bastile
and the peasants began to lift up. the
heads, and talk of doing something
but no one dared to speak openl!
for there were troops qaartered in b.
san2on, and nobody knew WhethG
they would join MS. or not. I hear
afterwards that they were read
enough to side with us, but, having +
leaders, and each man doubling whetl
er ms comrades would stand by hin
. they did not stir.l But by the openin
OF the year '9O, the soldiers in all tt
garrison towns had communicated wit
, each other, and were on the side of II
people; SO, one day in March, the tN
BesanGOn regiments rose ala one ma
deposed their officers, shot their cOlone
and elected Sergeant Roussel in h
stead (the same ROussel who afterwar,
commanded brigade under the gre
Emperor). Then our peasants began
think that it was time to square a
! counts with M. le Marquis, especially
! all his grand friends had gone ava
and there We're only few lackeys lie
! / to defend him. But somebody mu
> have told him what was going on; 4
! just as the peasants were all gather
! In the village yOnder, with hatche
2 and pItchforka, and what not, reaC
!. . to 60 up to the chateau, there car
! q rattle OF hO0fs along the road, and i
: to the maFket-place broke the cid ma
! quls himself on his great black hors
. with his gay dress glittering in the su
, SHINE, and his face quiet and smooth
= = it he were going into a drawing roOr
! ! but his lips were set together like t
! jaws of Wolf-tFap. When saw hi
8 coming, | shrank away, fearing that
would seize and devour me even a4rlol
I them oil but I could see how he reign
= up his horse (the crowd parting befo
. him right and left, leaned from /
1 saddle. and stood facing us, with
arms folded on his breast. MOYble
II | think see him now, drawn 1lp hisfl
), height, with his lip curling in defian,
!, and his eye looking through us like t
: flash OF the sword, as he said in
Z clear, seornful voice: am told til
! You have something to say tome. Ht
! am. Whafdo you want Z But the
\ \ was no answer. Atthe sightof his ia,
y and the sound of his voice, conf
: among US this way like an all-powert
!, master, the old fear of him and h
! branded INTO us by ages of oppressi,
rose up again stronger than ever: a
= the whole crowd of furious men fu
' their heads like rated schOol-boys, q
" 4nnlfqd away hafnra 5hiy. T;o,,s1 ass,ao