His friends among the younger advocates and the better
educated of the bourgeois had rallier round him, and in the general
anarchy made it their business to protect the persons whom the mob
placed in danger. My mother, in these days of terror, had recurred to
her former reliance on him, and admitted him once more. I heard
there had been no formal reconciliation with Annora, but they had met
as if nothing had happened; and it was an understood thing that he
should follow her to the Hague so soon as there should be an interval
of peace; but he had a deep affection for his country and his city,
and could not hear of quitting them, even for Annora's sake, in this
crisis of fate, while he had still some vision of being of use, and
at any rate could often save lives. Whenever any part of the mob was
composed of real poor, who had experienced his mother's charities, he
could deal with them; and when they were the mere savage bandits of
the partisans, he and his friends scrupled not to use force. For
instance, this I saw myself. The Duke of Orleans had summoned the
Prevot des Marchands and two of the echevins to the Luxembourg, to
consult about supplies. The mob followed them all the way down the
street, reviling them as men sold to Mazarin, and insisting that they
should open the gates to the Prince. When they were admitted the
wretches stood outside yelling at them like wolves waiting for their
prey.
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