of the town a score of men broke into the house of a certain Scipion
Chabrier, who had remained hidden from his enemies for a long time, but
who had lately returned home on the strength of the proclamations
published by General Lagarde when he assumed the position of commandant
of the town. He had indeed been sure that the disturbances in Nimes were
over, when they burst out with redoubled fury on the 16th of October; on
the morning of the 17th he was working quietly at home at his trade of a
silk weaver, when, alarmed by the shouts of a parcel of cut-throats
outside his house, he tried to escape. He succeeded in reaching the
"Coupe d'Or," but the ruffians followed him, and the first who came up
thrust him through the thigh with his bayonet. In consequence of this
wound he fell from top to bottom of the staircase, was seized and dragged
to the stables, where the assassins left him for dead, with seven wounds
in his body.

This was, however, the only murder committed that day in the town, thanks
to the vigilance and courage of General Lagarde.

The next day a considerable crowd gathered, and a noisy deputation went
to General Lagarde's quarters and insolently demanded that Trestaillons
should be set at liberty. The general ordered them to disperse, but no
attention was paid to this command, whereupon he ordered his soldiers to
charge, and in a moment force accomplished what long-continued persuasion
had failed to effect. Several of the ringleaders were arrested and taken
to prison.

Thus, as we shall see, the struggle assumed a new phase: resistance to
the royal power was made in the name of the royal power, and both those
who broke or those who tried to maintain the public peace used the same
cry, "Long live the king!"