A crowd had gathered near
the church, for His Excellency was on his way to visit the Cure.
As he passed, they cheered him. He stopped to speak to them. Before he
had ended, some one came crying wildly that the soldiers, the red-coats
were come. The sound of a drum rolled up the street, and presently,
round a corner, came the well-ordered troops of the Government.
Instantly Lagroin wheeled to summon any stray men of his little army, but
Valmond laid a hand on his arm, stopping him. It would have been the
same in any case, for the people had scattered like sheep, and stood
apart.
They were close by the church steps. Valmond mechanically saw the
mealman, open-mouthed and dazed, start forward from the crowd; but,
hesitating, he drew back again almost instantly, and was swallowed up in
the safety of distance. He smiled at the mealman's hesitation, even
while he said to himself: "This ends it--ends it!"
He said it with no great sinking of heart, with no fear. It was the
solution of all; it was his only way to honour.
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