Genis came his way too or not.

The latter with wearied, aching eyes gazed after the fast disappearing
troop, until they became a mere speck on the long, straight road, and
the distant morning mist finally swallowed them up.

Then he too turned his horse's head in the same direction back toward
Lyons once more, and allowing the reins to hang loosely in his hand, and
letting his horse pick its own slow way along the road, he gave himself
over to the gloominess of his own thoughts.

II

He too had some difficulty in entering the town. M. le Duc d'Orleans,
cousin of the King, had just arrived to support M. le Comte d'Artois,
and together these two royal princes had framed and posted up a
proclamation to the brave Lyonese of the National Guard.

The whole city was in a turmoil, for M. le Duc d'Orleans--who was
nothing if not practical--had at once declared that there was not the
slightest chance of a successful defence of Lyons, and that by far the
best thing to do would be to withdraw the troops while they were still
loyal.

M. le Comte d'Artois protested; at any rate he wouldn't do anything so
drastic till after the arrival of Marshal Macdonald, to whom he had sent
an urgent courier the day before, enjoining him to come to Lyons without
delay. In the meanwhile he and his royal cousin did all they could to
kindle or at any rate to keep up the loyalty of the troops, but
defection was already in the air: here and there the men had been seen
to throw their white cockades into the mud, and more than one cry of
"Vive l'Empereur!" had risen even while Monsieur himself was reviewing
the National Guard on the Place Bellecour.

The bridge of La Guillotiere was stoutly barricaded, but as St. Genis
waited out in the open road while his name was being taken to the
officer in command he saw crowds of people standing or walking up and
down on the opposite bank of the river.

They were waiting for the Emperor, the news of whose approach was
filling the townspeople with glee.

Heartsick and wretched, St. Genis, after several hours of weary waiting,
did ultimately obtain permission to enter the city by the ferry on the
south side of the city. Once inside Lyons, he had no difficulty in
ascertaining where such a distinguished gentleman as M. le Comte de
Cambray had put up for the night, and he promptly made his way to the
Hotel Bourbon, his mind, at this stage, still a complete blank as to how
he would explain his discomfiture