there was a moment when excitement and joy were at theirhighest, and danger possible, to hear the roll of the heavy farmwaggons, and to see me arrive, with all the little ones and theirmothers, like a new army, to take possession of their homes once more.
M. LE MAIRE CONCLUDES HIS RECORD.
The narratives which I have collected from the different eye-witnessesduring the time of my own absence, will show how everything passed whileI, with M. le Cure, was recovering possession of our city. Many havereported to me verbally the occurrences of the last half-hour before myreturn; and in their accounts there are naturally discrepancies, owingto their different points of view and different ways of regarding thesubject. But all are agreed that a strange and universal slumber hadseized upon all. M. de Bois-Sombre even admits that he, too, wasovercome by this influence. They slept while we were performing ourdangerous and solemn duty in Semur. But when the Cathedral bells beganto ring, with one impulse all awoke; and starting from the places wherethey lay, from the shade of the trees and bushes and sheltering hollows,saw the cloud and the mist and the darkness which had enveloped Semursuddenly rise from the walls. It floated up into the higher air beforetheir eyes, then was caught and carried away, and flung about intoshreds upon the sky by a strong wind, of which down below no influencewas felt. They all gazed, not able to get their breath, speechless,beside themselves with joy, and saw the walls reappear, and the roofs ofthe houses, and our glorious Cathedral against the blue sky. They stoodfor a moment spell-bound. M. de Bois-Sombre informs me that he wasafraid of a wild rush into the city, and himself hastened to the frontto lead and restrain it; when suddenly a great cry rang through the air,and some one was seen to fall across the high road, straight in front ofthe Porte St. Lambert. M. de Bois-Sombre was at once aware who it was,for he himself had watched Lecamus taking his place at the feet of mywife, who awaited my return there. This checked the people in theirfirst rush towards their homes; and when it was seen that Madame Dupinhad also sunk down fainting on the ground after her more than humanexertions for the comfort of all, there was but one impulse oftenderness and pity. When I reached the gate on my return, I found mywife lying there in all the pallor of death, and for a moment my heartstood still with sudden terror. What mattered Semur to me, if it hadcost me my Agnes? or how could I think of Lecamus or any other, whileshe lay between life and death? I had her carried back to our own house.She was the first to re-enter Semur; and after a time, thanks be to God,she came back to herself. But Paul Lecamus was a dead man. No need tocarry him in, to attempt unavailing cares. 'He has gone, that one; hehas marched with the others,' said the old doctor, who had served in hisday, and sometimes would use the language of the camp. He cast but oneglance at him, and laid his hand upon his heart in passing. 'Cover hisface,' was all he said.
It is possible that this check was good for the restraint of the crowd.It moderated the rush with which they returned to their homes. The sightof the motionless figures stretched out by the side of the way overawedthem. Perhaps it may seem strange, to any one who has known what hadoccurred, that the state of the city should have given me great anxietythe first night of our return. The withdrawal of the oppression and awewhich had been on the men, the return of everything to its naturalstate, the sight of their houses unchanged, so that the brain turnedround of these common people, who seldom reflect upon anything, and theyalready began to ask themselves was it all a delusion--added to theexhaustion of their physical condition, and the natural desire for easeand pleasure after the long strain upon all their faculties--produced anexcitement which might have led to very disastrous consequences.Fortunately I had foreseen this. I have always been considered topossess great knowledge of human nature, and this has been matured byrecent events. I sent off messengers instantly to bring home the womenand children, and called around me the men in whom I could most trust.Though I need not say that the excitement and suffering of the pastthree days had told not less upon myself than upon others, I abandonedall idea of rest. The first thing that I did, aided by my respectablefellow-townsmen, was to take possession of all _cabarets_ andwine-shops, allowing indeed the proprietors to return, but preventingall assemblages within them. We then established a patrol of respectablecitizens throughout the city, to preserve the public peace. Icalculated, with great anxiety, how many hours it would be before mymessengers could react: La Clairiere, to bring back the women--for insuch a case the wives are the best guardians, and can exercise aninfluence more general and less suspected than that of the magistrates;but this was not to be hoped for for three or four hours at least.Judge, then, what was my joy and satisfaction when the sound of wheels(in itself a pleasant sound, for no wheels had been audible on thehigh-road since these events began) came briskly to us from thedistance; and looking out from the watch-tower over the Porte St.Lambert, I saw the strangest procession. The wine-carts and all the farmvehicles of La Clairiere, and every kind of country waggon, were joltingalong the road, all in a tumult and babble of delicious voices; and fromunder the rude canopies and awnings and roofs of vine branches, made upto shield them from the sun, lo! there were the children like birds in anest, one little head peeping over the other. And the cries and songs,the laughter, and the shoutings! As they came along the air grew sweet,the world was made new. Many of us, who had borne all the terrors andsufferings of the past without fainting, now felt their strength failthem. Some broke out into tears, interrupted with laughter. Some calledout aloud the names of their little ones. We went out to meet them,every man there present, myself at the head. And I will not deny that asensation of pride came over me when I saw my mother stand up in thefirst waggon, with all those happy ones fluttering around her. 'My son,'she said, 'I have discharged the trust that was given me. I bring theeback the blessing of God.' 'And God bless thee, my mother!' I cried. Theother men, who were fathers, like me, came round me, crowding to kissher hand. It is not among the women of my family that you will findthose who abandon their duties.
And then to lift them down in armfuls, those flowers of paradise, allfresh with the air of the fields, all joyous like the birds! We put themdown by twos and threes, some of us sobbing with joy. And to see themdispersing hand in hand, running here and there, each to its home,carrying peace, and love, and gladness, through the streets--that wasenough to make the most serious smile. No fear was in them, or care.Every haggard man they met--some of them feverish, restless, beginningto think of riot and pleasure after forced abstinence--there was a newshout, a rush of little feet, a shower of soft kisses. The women werefollowing after, some packed into the carts and waggons, pale and worn,yet happy; some walking behind in groups; the more strong, or the moreeager, in advance, and a long line of stragglers behind. There wasanxiety in their faces, mingled with their joy. How did they know whatthey might find in the houses from which they had been shut out? Andmany felt, like me, that in the very return, in the relief, there wasdanger. But the children feared nothing; they filled the streets withtheir dear voices, and happiness came back with them. When I felt mylittle Jean's cheek against mine, then for the first time did I know howmuch anguish I had suffered--how terrible was parting, and how sweet waslife. But strength and prudence melt away when one indulges one's self,even in one's dearest affections. I had to call my guardians together,to put mastery upon myself, that a just vigilance might not be relaxed.M. de Bois-Sombre, though less anxious than myself, and disposed tobelieve (being a soldier) that a little license would do no harm, yetstood by me; and, thanks to our precautions, all went well.
Before night three parts of the population had returned to Semur, andthe houses were all lighted up as for a great festival. The Cathedralstood open--even the great west doors, which are only opened on greatoccasions--with a glow of tapers gleaming out on every side. As I stoodin the twilight watching, and glad at heart to think that all was goingwell, my mother and my wife--still pale, but now recovered from herfainting and weakness--came out into the great square, leading my littleJean. They were on their way to the Cathedral, to thank God
for theirreturn. They looked at me, but did not ask me to go with them, thosedear women; they respected my opinions, as I had always respectedtheirs. But this silence moved me more than words; there came into myheart a sudden inspiration. I was still in my scarf of office, which hadbeen, I say it without vanity, the standard of authority and protectionduring all our trouble; and thus marked out as representative of all, Iuncovered myself, after the ladies of my family had passed, and, withoutjoining them, silently followed with a slow and solemn step. Asuggestion, a look, is enough for my countrymen; those who were in thePlace with me perceived in a moment what I meant. One by one theyuncovered, they put themselves behind me. Thus we made such a processionas had never been seen in Semur. We were gaunt and worn with watchingand anxiety, which only added to the solemn effect. Those who werealready in the Cathedral, and especially M. le Cure, informed
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