rk and responsibilities, and
thus make the regiment what it is. I hope I shall rejoin before the end
of the campaign. This may be the last, for now that they have begun the
peace conference at Munster, something must surely come of it sooner or
later, for all parties must be thoroughly sick of this long and terrible
war, which has ruined Germany and impoverished France, and from which
neither party, after nigh thirty years of fighting, has gained any
material advantage. At any rate it will be a great satisfaction to me
to know that the regiment is in your hands. I know that during the time
that I have been away this winter things have gone on satisfactorily;
but it is clearly impossible for an officer to keep a regiment well
in hand when, as in your case, your appointment was only a day or two
earlier than that of some of the others. You are likely to have some
stiff marching now, for only one other infantry regiment besides ours
will accompany the cavalry, the rest will remain here until they get
an opportunity of rejoining. Of course I shall take Paolo and my four
mounted troopers back with me to Paris. I may probably send them on to
la Villar, as it is not likely that I shall need them at court."

On the evening of the fifth day after leaving Mayence Hector arrived in
Paris, and alighted at the cardinal's hotel.

"So you are again a bearer of despatches, Monsieur Campbell," the
cardinal said, as Hector entered his apartment. "They need be important,
or the marshal would hardly have sent you with them."

"They are, as you will see, important, your eminence, but I am sent
rather to explain further than the marshal could do in a letter his
reasons for the step that he has taken. As you have learned long before
this, the Duke of Bavaria has proved false to his promises. He has
effected a junction with the Imperialist army, and the marshal has news
that both are marching against the Swedes, who are in no strength to
show fight against so great a force."

The cardinal opened the despatch, and read it in silence.

"'Tis a grave step for the marshal to have taken without orders," he
said, frowning; "and do you mean to say that he has already started on
this expedition?"

"The troops had fallen into their ranks when I started, and by this time
they must be well on their way towards Holland. There was no time, sir,
for the marshal to await a reply to the despatch. The matter was most
urgent, every day was of importance,