back. Laporte, seeing two of his men killed and five or six wounded,
called out loudly, "Children of God, lay down your arms: this way of
going to work is too slow; let us burn the abbey and all in it. To work!
to work!" The advice was good, and they all hastened to follow it:
benches, chairs, and furniture of all sorts were heaped up in the hall, a
palliasse thrown on the top, and the pile fired. In a moment the whole
building was ablaze, and the Arch-priest, yielding to the entreaties of
his servants, fastened his sheets to the window-bars, and by their help
dropped into the garden. The drop was so great that he broke one of his
thigh bones, but dragging himself along on his hands and one knee, he,
with one of his servants, reached a recess in the wall, while another
servant was endeavouring to escape through the flames, thus falling into
the hands of the fanatics, who carried him before their captain. Then
cries of "The prophet! the prophet!" were heard on all sides. Esprit
Seguier, feeling that something fresh had taken place, came forward,
still holding in his hand the blazing torch with which he had set fire to
the pile.

"Brother," asked Laporte, pointing to the prisoner, "is this man to die?"

Esprit Seguier fell on his knees and covered his face with his mantle,
like Samuel, and sought the Lord in prayer, asking to know His will.

In a short time he rose and said, "This man is not to die; for inasmuch
as he has showed mercy to our brethren we must show mercy to him."

Whether this fact had been miraculously revealed to Seguier, or whether
he had gained his information from other sources, the newly released
prisoners confirmed its truth, calling out that the man had indeed
treated them with humanity. Just then a roar as of a wild beast was