Early on the following morning, the whole army was
on its march towards Laval. The Vendean leaders
were well aware that the republicans were now on their
track, and they were truly thankful that some unaccountable
delay in the movement of the enemy, had enabled them
to put a great river between themselves and their
pursuers. The garrisons, which the Convention
had thrown into the towns of Brittany, were very insufficient,
both in numbers and spirit, and the blues abandoned
one place after another as the Vendeans approached.
They passed through Cande, Segre, and Chateau-Gonthier
without having to fire a shot, and though the gates
of the town of Laval were closed against them, it was
only done to allow the republican soldiers time to
escape from the other side of the town.
The inhabitants of Laval flocked out in numbers to
meet the poor Vendeans, and to offer them hospitality,
and such comfort as their small town could afford
to so huge a crowd. They begrudged them nothing
that they possessed, and spared neither their provisions
nor their houses. It seemed that Chapeau’s
promise was this time true; and that, at any rate,
for a time, they all found plenty in Laval. Henri
established his head-quarters in a stone house, in
the centre of the town, and here also he got accommodation
for the three ladies and M. de Lescure. Nor did
Chapeau forget to include Annot Stein in the same comfortable
establishment, under the pretext that her services
would be indispensable.
M. de Lescure had suffered grievously through the
whole journey, but he seemed to rally when he reached
Laval, and the comparative comfort of his quiet chamber
gave him ease, and lessened his despondency. The
whole party recovered something of their usual buoyancy,
and when Henri brought in word, in the evening, that
if the worst came to the worst, he could certainly
hold out the town against the republican army until
assistance reached them from England, they were all
willing to hope that the cause in which they were
engaged might still prosper.
CHAPTER IX
LA PETITE VENDEE
For four or five days they all remained quiet in Laval,
with nothing to disturb their tranquillity, but rumours
of what was going on on both sides of the river.
The men, with the exception of the old Marquis and
de Lescure, were hard at work from morning until night;
but they had hardly time or patience to describe accurately
what was going on, to those who were left within;
and the time passed very heavily with them. Two
sofas had been carried to the windows of the sitting-room
which they occupied. These windows looked out
into the main thoroughfare of the town, and here the
Marquis and the wounded man were placed, so that they
might see all that was passing in the street.
Various reports reached them from time to time, a
few of which were confirmed, many proved to be false,
and some still remained doubtful; but two facts were
positively ascertained. Firstly, that the main
army of the republicans had passed the river at Angers,
and were advancing towards Laval; and secondly, that
there was a considerable number of Breton peasants,
already under arms, in the country, who were harassing
the blues whenever they could meet them in small parties,
and very frequently menacing the garrisons which they
found in the small towns.
