The magistrates of Ganges, being informed of what had happened, and
beginning to believe that it was really a case of murder, came in person,
with a guard, to the marquise. As soon as she saw them come in she
recovered strength, and raising herself in bed, so great was her fear,
clasped her hands and besought their protection; for she always expected
to see one or the other of her murderers return. The magistrates told
her to reassure herself, set armed men to guard all the approaches to the
house, and while physicians and surgeons were, summoned in hot haste from
Montpellier, they on their part sent word to the Baron de Trissan,
provost of Languedoc, of the crime that had just been committed, and gave
him the names and the description of the murderers. That official at
once sent people after them, but it was already too late: he learned that
the abbe and the chevalier had slept at Aubenas on the night of the
murder, that there they had reproached each other for their
unskilfulness, and had come near cutting each other's throats, that
finally they had departed before daylight, and had taken a boat, near
Agde, from a beach called the "Gras de Palaval."

The Marquis de Ganges was at Avignon, where he was prosecuting a servant
of his who had robbed him of two hundred crowns; when he heard news of
the event. He turned horribly pale as he listened to the messenger's
story, then falling into a violent fury against his brothers, he swore
that they should have no executioners other than himself. Nevertheless,
though he was so uneasy about the marquise's condition, he waited until
the next day in the afternoon before setting forth, and during the
interval he saw some of his friends at Avignon without saying anything to
them of the matter. He did not reach Ganges until four days after the
murder, then he went to the house of M. Desprats and asked to see his
wife, whom some kind priests had already prepared for the meeting; and