l?" Then reassuming with a great effort his military stiffness, he
opened the door and announced in a loud tone, "Colonel Hector Campbell."

There was an exclamation of astonishment from the colonel and two or
three officers who were sitting with him.

"Why, Campbell," the former said, coming forward and warmly shaking his
hand, "you are changed indeed, and you have come back to us almost the
living image of your father when he first joined."

The officers all shook hands with him warmly, and the colonel went on,
"Macfarlane announced you as colonel, Hector, but surely you cannot have
gained that rank?"

"I only obtained it two days ago. You see it is a good thing to be a
prince's aide-de-camp. Turenne, wishing to give me every opportunity of
seeing service, sent me to Enghien with a message asking him to employ
me on his staff."

"And you were at Rocroi?" the colonel exclaimed. "What is the real news
of the battle? It was given out officially last night that we had won
a victory, and there are all sorts of rumours this morning in the
town--they say that three officers arrived last night with full
details."

"I was one of the three, colonel; and I have just now come from the
palace after handing my despatches to the queen."

"Then it was Enghien who made you colonel?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, you must have done something marked, or you could never
have got the rank. Why, he has half the young nobles of France in his
train--he has not made them all colonels, I suppose?"

"No, I suppose not; but we started early the next morning, and therefore
cannot say what promotions were made."

"Still they made yours, Campbell. When did they do that?"

"Just after the fight was over."

"Umph! and what for?"

"Well, I luckily discovered that the Spaniards had set an ambush."

"Come, come, let us hear all about it. Tell us the whole story of the
fight."

Hector gave all the details.

"Well, it certainly seems to have been an extraordinary battle. Everyone
appears to have been beaten in turn."

"Not Enghien's command, sir."

"Well, no; but when cavalry are repulsed three times with a loss, as
you say, of nearly half their numbers, it is pretty well equivalent to a
beating; and if Enghien had not been able to bring up the artillery and
reserves, I take it that the third charge would have been the last.
The ambush that you discovered was, I suppose, that of the thousand
musketeers Enghien charged at the beginning of