egiment."

"Indeed!" she exclaimed. "Of course, we have heard all the particulars
of the battle; and it was said that General Merci would have beaten
Monsieur Turenne back had it not been for the Poitou regiment, commanded
by a Scottish colonel, and said to be the finest under the command
of the French generals. They say it stood for three hours against the
attacks of the whole Bavarian army."

"We were in a strong position," Hector said quietly, "at the mouth of
a defile, so that no more than our own numbers could attack us at once.
However, I am proud of the conduct of my men; none could have fought
more steadily than they did."

"My husband was killed in the battle against Enghien's army on the hill.
I am glad that it was not by your regiment, monsieur."

"I am glad too, madam."

"These wars are terrible, and we of Lorraine--lying between France and
Germany--suffer whichever wins. Fortunately we lie at a distance
from the roads that the armies follow, and therefore have escaped the
devastation caused all along the line of march. Nevertheless we have
the sadness of knowing that in the field neighbours must fight against
neighbours, and kinsmen against kinsmen, for since the duke fled many of
our nobles, seeing that the country has now become part of France,
have joined her, while others, like my husband, followed the duke into
Germany. However, as an Irishwoman it matters little to me now which is
the victor."

"Do you think of returning home, madam?"

"As to that, I have not yet made up my mind. The land there is as
distracted as is France by civil war. It is sixteen years since I left
Ireland with my husband, a few months after our marriage. I was an
orphan, and have no near relations to whom I can go, therefore it
matters little to me whether I live in France or Ireland, so that I
can see some way of earning my own living and that of my daughter. With
economy, the sale of the silver would suffice to keep us for three or
four years, and long before that I hope that I shall be able in some way
to earn my living."

Hector sat silent for two or three minutes. "It seems to me, madam,"
he said at last, "that it would be better that you should not spend the
proceeds of your silver before looking for a post. I can offer you one
at once, if you will accept it."

"You, monsieur!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, madam. It is bad for the vassals and tenants of a noble--even
though a newly made one, and on an est