Flessiere, unable to turn, raised his arm and fired over his shoulder.

The shot missed the provost, merely burning a lock of his hair, but slightly wounded one of his servants, who was carrying a lantern.

He then tried to fire a second shot, but Jausserand, seizing him by the wrist with one hand, blew out his brains with the other.

While Jausserand and Flessiere were thus struggling, Gaillard threw himself on Villa, pinning his arms to his sides.

As he had no weapons, he tried to push him to the wall, in order to stun him by knocking his head against it; but when the servant, being wounded, let the lantern fall, he took advantage of the darkness to make a dash for the door, letting go his hold of his antagonist.
Unfortunately for him, the doors, of which there were two, were guarded, and the guards, seeing a half-naked man running away at the top of his speed, ran after him, firing several shots.