InAugust1572,CharlesⅨofFranceorderedthekillingoftheHuguenotsinParis.TheHuguenotleaderandhiseldestsonwerebothkilled.Theyoungerson,JacquesLaForce,whowasonlytwelve,escapedbyfeigningdeath,lyingamongthedeadbodiesthroughouttheday.Aseveningcameheheardanoldmansighandsay"OhGodwillpunishthis."Theboystoodupandaskedtheoldman'shelpinreachinghissister'shusband,Larchant,thecaptainoftheguard,buttheoldmanrefusedandtookhimtohisownhouse.WhattheboydidnotknowwasthatLarchanthadplayedapartinhisfather'sdeath.Togetherwithothergood-heartedpeople,theoldmanhelpedtheboyescape,completewithafalsepassport,andafteradifficultjourneytheboyreachedsafetywithhisuncle.
一五七二年八月，法王查理九世下令屠殺巴黎雨格諾教徒，教徒領袖和他長子同遭毒手，幼子雅克．拉福斯當時十二歲，佯死躲過一劫，整天伏在屍體堆中，到了晚上，聽見一個老人歎息「唉，這當受天譴」，就站起來，請那老人幫忙，送他到姊夫拉尚衞士隊長那兒。那老人不肯，卻帶他回到自己家裏。雅克不知道，拉尚參與殺害他父親。那老人和其他好心人一起協助雅克逃生，還給他弄到假護照。經過一段艱苦旅程，雅克去到叔父家裏，得以安身。
【附注】這段歷史，就是著名的聖巴托羅繆節屠殺（StBartholomew'sDayMassacre），巴黎一地死難者即有三千人。拉尚聽說雅克未死，要斬草除根，只是找不到他。雅克後來成為名將，享年將近一百歲。