distance from Babillon's house caused that district to be searched first, while large numbers of patrol parties were sent through the city.
This step roused the citizens again, and despite Dubois' opinion as to the indecision of the burgher leaders, they had resolved to take active measures; while the bulk of the citizens, inflamed by their long-standing wrongs, were quickly on fire when the soldiers turned out and the news spread that they were hunting for Gabrielle.
All the elements for a collision were thus present, and the streets were thronged with the people, who eyed the soldiers with lowering looks of deadly hate, and needed but a little provocation to drive them to open and violent revolt.
And that provocation the Governor himself afforded at the very time when Gerard and his little party were endeavouring to escort Gabrielle to Malincourt.
The Governor, hearing of the danger of trouble in the city, hurried from the Castle with the intention of conferring with the chief burghers and renewing the assurances already given that no harm threatened Gabrielle; and he chanced to reach the market-place just when the crowd was in its most dangerous temper.
In the centre of the market-place the officers who were conducting the search had taken up a position, guarded by a number of troops, and to them all the prisoners captured by the patrols and search parties were brought for purposes of identification. The crowd, constantly swelling in numbers, watched the proceedings with intense indignation. Jeers and groans greeted the arrival of every prisoner, and loud flouting laughter went up whenever a prisoner was identified and released, accompanied by threatening murmurs of discontent and anger.
At length stones began to be thrown, and when one struck the officer in command in the face the crowd
