Whence came these peasants, in a country which was almost a desert? It was surmised that some days before the inhabitants of a tract of land, near Pont-de-Somme-Vesles, belonging to Madame d’Elbœuf, had refused the payment of irredeemable rights, on the strength of which they had been threatened with military law. But the federation of 1790 had made France one great family; and the peasants of the villages had promised the tenants of Madame d’Elbœuf to use their arms if any soldiers showed themselves in the vicinity. As we know, forty had arrived. On seeing them Madame d’Elbœuf’s tenants believed that they had come with hostile intentions against them; so they sent messages to all the neighboring villages, imploring them to keep their promise. Those situate nearest arrived first, and that is how M. de Choiseul, on arising from table, found a turbulent throng of peasants surrounding the hussars. He believed that curiosity alone had drawn them thither, and, without paying any further attention to them, gained the most elevated part of the road, which runs in a straight line through the plain of Châlons to St. Menehould. A little further on than could be seen with the naked eye was the village itself. An hour slipped away. Two hours, three hours, four hours, followed in the track of the first. The fugitives ought to have arrived in one hour at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles; and the time they had lost on the road made it half-past four, as we have said, before they arrived at Châlons. M. de Choiseul was anxious. Léonard was in despair. About three o’clock, the numbers of peasants increased; their intentions became more hostile, and the tocsin began to sound. The hussars were, perhaps, more unpopular than any other corps in the army, on account of their supposed plundering propensities. The peasants provoked them by all sorts of insults and menaces, and sang under their very noses— “The hussars are forlorn, And we laugh them to scorn.” Presently better informed people came up, and spread a report that the hussars had come, not to injure Madame d’Elbœuf’s tenants, but to escort the King and Queen. This was also a very serious matter. At about half-past four, M. de Choiseul and his hussars were so completely hemmed in, that the three officers counselled together as to what was best to be done. They agreed unanimously that it was impossible that they could hold out much longer. The number of peasants was augmented to about three hundred, many of whom were armed. If, by ill luck, the King and Queen arrived at this critical juncture, forty men, supposing that each killed his adversary, would be insufficient to protect them. M. de Choiseul re-read his orders:— “Manage in such a manner that the King’s carriage shall continue its progress without interruption.” But his presence and that of the forty men became an obstacle instead of a support. There was no doubt about it. Their best plan was to depart.