hanged, as
persons of little importance. He was happy indeed not to see his own son
among the victims.

When the execution was over he went into the square and put himself in
the way of the clerk of the court. After giving his name, and slipping
a purse full of crowns into the man's hand, he begged him to look on the
records and see if the name of Christophe Lecamus appeared in either of
the three preceding executions. The clerk, touched by the manner and
the tones of the despairing father, took him to his own house. After
a careful search he was able to give the old man an absolute assurance
that Christophe was not among the persons thus far executed, nor among
those who were to be put to death within a few days.

"My dear man," said the clerk, "Parliament has taken charge of the
trial of the great lords implicated in the affair, and also that of the
principal leaders. Perhaps your son is detained in the prisons of the
chateau, and he may be brought forth for the magnificent execution which
their Excellencies the Duc de Guise and the Cardinal de Lorraine are now
preparing. The heads of twenty-seven barons, eleven counts, and seven
marquises,--in all, fifty noblemen or leaders of the Reformers,--are to
be cut off. As the justiciary of the county of Tourine is quite distinct
from that of the parliament of Paris, if you are determined to know
about your son, I advise you to go and see the Chancelier Olivier,
who has the management of this great trial under orders from the
lieutenant-general of the kingdom."

The poor old man, acting on this advice, went three times to see the
chancellor, standing in a long queue of persons waiting to ask mercy
for their friends. But as the titled men were made to pass before
the burghers, he was obliged to give up the hope of speaking to the
chancellor, though he saw him several times leave the house to go either
to the chateau or to the committee appointed by the Parliament,--passing
each time between a double hedge of petitioners who were kept back by
the guards to allow him free passage. It was a horrible scene of anguish
and desolation; for among these petitioners were many women, wives,
mothers, daughters, whole families in distress. Old Lecamus gave much
gold to the footmen of the chateau, entreating them to put certain
letters which he wrote into the hand either of Dayelle, Queen Mary's
woman, or into that of the queen-mother; but the footmen took the poor
man's money and carri