A squad of a dozen or fifteen men leave the ranks
and march up to the four gentlemen, who advance, hat in hand, to
meet them. Suddenly the men aim at them, and Bailly, with a furious
air, demands: "What the devil do you come here for?" M. de Bussy
replies that, having been informed of the Federation, he had come to
take the oath like the rest of the people. Bailly asks why he had
come armed. M. de Bussy remarks that "having been in the service,
the sword was inseparable from the uniform," and had they come there
without that badge they would have been at fault; besides, they must
have observed that they had no other arms. Bailly, still in a rage,
and, moreover, exasperated by such good reasons, turns round with
his gun in his hand towards the leader of the squad and asks him
three times in succession, "Commander, must I fire?" The commander
not daring to take the responsibility of so gratuitous a murder,
remains silent, and finally orders M. de Bussy to "clear out;"
"which I did," says M.
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