s gentleman is Colonel d'Estampes, who is the head of
my staff; this Major Mutton, who will have the control of all matters
connected with the artillery; these are Messieurs de Lisle and Emile de
Chavigny, who are my aides-de-camp. Now, gentlemen, let us mount."

As the Scottish regiment was a mounted one, Hector had had ample
opportunities to learn to ride well, and he now fell in with the two
aides-de-camp, who were both young men of eighteen or nineteen years of
age, members of good families, and together they followed the Viscount
Turenne, who rode on ahead with the two staff officers. While they
were making their way through the narrow streets of Paris they rode but
slowly, but as soon as they passed through the gates they went on at a
brisk pace.

"You are fortunate," de Lisle said, "in having obtained a commission so
young, although I do not say that there are not many of similar age in
the army."

"I am fortunate indeed," Hector replied, "fortunate beyond anything
that I could have believed possible, thanks to the goodness of Viscount
Turenne."

"You could not enter the army under better patronage," de Chavigny said.
"We have both served under him for two years on the Rhine, and had we
been his brothers he could not have been more kind; but the work, ma
foi, was tremendous. The soldiers may well say that the general is
sleepless. Happily he does not expect us to go altogether without rest.
Frequently he is away all night by himself in the saddle, sometimes
he takes one or other of us with him, but at any rate we get a night's
sleep by turns. Much as he has to worry him--what with the ignorance
of some and the carelessness of others--I have never seen him out of
temper; but then a reproof, however mildly spoken, by him, is more
dreaded than a volley of abuse from any other general. He was telling us
before he came out that you are already well up in drill, and in the use
of arms."

"Yes; I have been brought up, I may say, in the Scottish regiment, and
after my father's death the officers and men were all very kind to me,
and I learnt my drill both as a soldier and an officer, to fence, use
my pistols, and ride. The officers lent me books on military history and
tactics."

"The viscount said you were wonderfully well read in such matters," de
Lisle said. "I own that beyond the campaigns that I have taken part in I
have a very vague idea of such things. My time before I joined was taken
up with learning the