Lorischen was by her side, and she felt
sadly alone.

"Both gone, both gone!" she murmured to herself as she ascended the
outside stairway that led to her apartments in the upper part of the
house. "It will be soon time for me to go, too!"

"Ach nein, dear mistress," said the faithful servant and friend who was
now the sole companion left to share the deserted home. "What would
become of me in that case, eh? We will wait and watch for the truants
in patience and hope. They'll come back to us again in God's good time;
and they will be all the more precious to us by their being taken from
us now. Himmel! mistress, why we've lots of things to do to get ready
for their return!"

CHAPTER THREE.

GRAVELOTTE.

The actual declaration of war by France against Germany was not made
until the 15th of July, 1870, reaching Berlin some four days later; but,
for some weeks prior to that date, there is not the slightest doubt that
both sides were busily engaged in mobilising their respective armies and
making extensive preparations for a struggle that promised at the outset
to be "a war to the knife"--the cut-and-dried official announcement of
hostilities only precipitating the crisis and bringing matters to a
head, so to speak.

On the general order being given throughout the states of the Empire to
place the national army on a war footing, in a very few days the
marvellous system by which the German people can be marshalled for
battle, "each tribe and family according to its place, and not in an
aggregate of mere armed men," was in full operation throughout the land;
and, under the influence of fervid zeal, of well-tested discipline, and
of skilful arrangement, the Teuton hosts became truly formidable. From
the recruiting ground allotted to it, each separate battalion speedily
called in its reserves, expanding into full strength, the regiments so
formed being at once arrayed into divisions and corps under proved
commanders, furnished with every appliance which modern military science
deemed necessary. These battalions composed the first line of defence
for the Fatherland; while behind them, to augment the regular troops,
again following out local distinctions and keeping up "the family
arrangement," the Landwehr stood in the second line; the additional
reserve of the Landsturm--yet to be called out in the event of fresh
levies being required for garrisoning the fortresses with this militia
force, so as to enable the