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Down the hill they came in beautiful order, a troop of Italian cavalry, their helmets gleaming, their swords flashing in the sunlight. "De Pilles is lost!" muttered a man behind me. "No, no!" cried Felix; "he will beat them off. See, he is forming up his men. Ah, bravo! bravo! Look, there isn't a coward among them!" With a rush, the Italians swept down on the guns.
Who here doubts the Duke's guilt? Let us kill him and Anjou, I say, or they will kill us. Put no trust in Charles. They will drag him into the plot." "What would you have us do?" asked Henry; "overthrow the throne?" "Ay," answered De Pilles stoutly, "I would clear the kingdom of the whole family."
De Pilles" the commander of our artillery "will soon batter down those walls, and a sharp rush will carry the hill." "'Tis a simple matter winning a battle in our minds," laughed Roger, "but not always so easy in practice. Monseigneur's troops fought well enough at Jarnac." "Ah," said Felix merrily, "they will fight well here, but we shall fight better!" "Is an assault decided on?"
Approaching the Marais we heard a tremendous hubbub, and running forward quickly beheld a number of Huguenot gentlemen gathered outside the Hôtel de Guise, waving their swords defiantly and threatening to have justice done upon the Duke. De Pilles was at their head, and I expected every moment to see him give the signal for an attack on the building.
"You will obtain justice, gentlemen," answered Charles. "My word is pledged, and I will not break it. I have assured my friend, the noble Coligny, that the villain who shot him shall be sought out and punished. I will not spare the guilty parties whoever they are!" At that we gave him a round of cheers, and marched out, De Pilles and his followers returning straight to the city.
I had little to do but to watch the opening of the battle, and my heart beat fast as De Pilles, a rough and fearless fighter, went forward with his artilery. Almost instantly the excitement became tense. "He is into the marsh!" cried Felix. "His guns are stuck fast! He cannot get them out! Ah, see, Monseigneur is launching his horsemen at them!"
The waves had rolled back, broken and shattered, and we raised cheer after cheer as the baffled horsemen slowly climbed the hill. De Pilles had saved his guns, and in Monseigneur's Italian troop there were more than a score of empty saddles. It was a good beginning for us. The battle now became general.
"'Tis no time for playing like children," De Pilles was saying, "I tell you we are all doomed; this is but the first stroke. Let us strike back, and strike hard." "I would suggest," said his neighbour, "that we get Coligny safe to Rochelle, and then gather all our forces." "We cannot move the Admiral; Paré will not answer for his life if he is moved."
I cannot say what further arguments were used, as De Guerchy made a sign for us to withdraw; but presently the meeting broke up, and the cavaliers, mounting their horses, rode away, singing psalms, and vowing to obtain justice. "De Pilles was right!" exclaimed Felix, as we returned to the ante-chamber; "this means war to the knife, and the sooner our leaders give the word the better.
Charles, it is said, looked on coldly at the horrid deed, the victims appealing in vain to his mercy. Among the gentlemen they murdered were two who had been boldest in their language to the King not many hours before Segur, Baron of Pardaillan, and Armand de Clermont, Baron of Pilles, who with stentorian voices called upon the King to be true to his word.
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