The tumult was at its height; the most violent threats burst out against Raimond V. “To the fishing-nets! the fishing-nets!” cried some. “To Maison-Forte!” cried others. “Do not leave one stone upon another!” “To arms! to arms!” “Let us make a petard to blow up the gate of the moat on the land side!” “Death, death to Raimond V.!” Seeing the fury of the populace, the recorder and the consul began to fear that they had gone too far, and that they would find it impossible to control the passions they had so imprudently unchained. “My friends,--my children!” cried Talebard-Tale-bardon, addressing the most excited of the speakers, “be moderate. Run to the fishing-nets,--that you may do, but make no attack upon Maison-Forte, or upon the life of the baron!” “No pity!--no pity! You yourself have told us, consul, that Raimond was going to fire on the city and the port and do worse than the Duke d’Epernon and his Gascons.” “Yes, yes. Let us destroy the old wolfs den and nail him to his door!” “To Maison-Forte!” “To Maison-Forte!” Such were the furious cries which met the tardy words of moderation, which the consul now tried to make the excited people heed. The more peaceable inhabitants pressed around the town hall, so as to enter the room of the tribunal where the overseers were already seated. Others, divided into two bands, were preparing, in spite of the entreaties of the consul, to destroy the fishing-nets and attack Maison-Forte des Anbiez, when an extraordinary incident struck the crowd with amazement, and rendered it silent and motionless. CHAPTER XVII. THE JUDGMENT The general astonishment was very natural. Slowly descending the street, in the direction of the public square, was seen the heavy ceremonial carriage of Raimond V. Four of his men, armed and on horseback, preceded by Laramée, opened the march; then came the carriage, with a crimson velvet canopy, somewhat worn; the retinue, as well as the body of the carriage, which was without windows, yet bore conspicuously the baron’s coat of arms, showed the red and yellow colours of the livery of Raimond V. Four strong draught-horses, yoked with rope traces, laboriously dragged this rude and massive vehicle, in the depth of which sat the baron majestically enthroned. Opposite him sat Honorât de Berrol. Inside the coach, near the doors, two small stools were placed. On one sat Abbé Mascarolus, with a bag of papers on his knees. The steward of the baron occupied the other. The imperfect construction of this ponderous vehicle permitted no place for a coachman. A carter, dressed for the occasion in a greatcoat, with the baron’s livery, walked at the head of each pair of horses, and conducted the equipage as he would have managed a farm-wagon. Finally, behind the carriage came four other armed men on horseback.