he King
of Spain had been obliged to recall a considerable proportion of his
troops from Italy to suppress an insurrection in Catalonia. Hector did
not accompany Turenne to Italy, for early in April Turenne had said to
him:

"There seems no chance of employment here at present, Campbell, while
there is likely to be some heavy fighting on the Rhine frontier.

"The death of Richelieu has given fresh courage to the enemies of
France, and I hear that de Malo, the governor of the Low Countries, has
gathered a large army, and is about to invade France. Our army there is
commanded by the young Duc d'Enghien, the Prince of Conde's son. He
is but twenty-two, and of course owes his appointment to his father's
influence. The king has, however, sent with him Marshal de l'Hopital,
who will be his lieutenant and director. I know Enghien well, and esteem
his talents highly. He is brave, impetuous, and fiery; but at the same
time, if I mistake not, cautious and prudent. I will give you a letter
to him. I shall tell him that you have greatly distinguished yourself
while on my staff, and being anxious above all things to acquire
military knowledge and to serve with honour, I have sent you to him,
begging him to give you the same post on his staff as you have had on
mine, asking it as a personal favour to myself. This, I have no doubt,
he will grant. He has affected my company a good deal when I have been
in Paris, and has evinced the greatest desire to learn as much as he can
of military matters from me."

"I am grateful indeed for your kindness, sir, of which I will most
gladly avail myself, and shall indeed be pleased at the opportunity of
seeing a great battle."

"I wish to show my approbation of the manner in which you have, since
you left me in Italy, endeavoured to do all in your power to acquire
useful knowledge, instead of wasting your time in idleness or gambling,
to which so many young officers in the army give themselves up."

The next day Hector and Paolo joined the army of Enghien as it was
on the march to Eperney. The former was now within a few months of
seventeen, of middle height, strongly built, his hard exercise and
training having broadened him greatly. He had a pleasant and good
tempered face, his hair, which was brown with a tinge of gold, clustered
closely round his head, for he had not adopted the French mode of
wearing it in long ringlets, a fashion unsuited for the work of a
campaign, and which de Lisle an