dings: he only
had boundless faith in his hero and boundless enthusiasm for his cause.
Accustomed to handle money since early manhood, owner of a vast fortune
which he had administered himself with no mean skill, he had no doubt
that the Emperor's scheme for manufacturing a few millions in a wild
gamble on the Stock Exchange was not only feasible but certain of
success.

Undoubtedly the false news of Wellington's defeat would reach London
to-morrow, as it had already reached Paris and Brussels. The panic in
the money market was a foregone conclusion: the quick rise in prices
when the truth became known was equally certain. It only meant
forestalling the arrival of Wellington's despatches in London by four
and twenty hours, and one million would make fifty during that time.

As de Marmont had told his Emperor, he had several hundred thousand
pounds invested in England, on which he could lay his hands: operations
on the Bourse were nothing new to him: and already while he was still
listening with respect and enthusiasm to his Emperor's instructions, he
was longing to get away. He knew the country well between here and
Brussels, and he was wildly longing to be at work, to be flying across
the low-lying land, on to Brussels and then across to England in the
wake of the awful news of complete disaster.

He would steal the uniform of some poor dead wretch--a Belgium or a
Hanoverian or a black Brunswicker, he didn't care which--it wouldn't
take long to strip the dead, and the greatness of the work at stake
would justify the sacrilege. In the uniform of one of the Allied army he
could safely continue his journey to Brussels, and with luck could reach
the city long before sunset.

In Brussels he would at once obtain civilian clothes and then catch the
evening packet for England at Ostend. Oh, no! it was not likely that
Wellington could send a messenger over to London quite so soon!

At this hour--it was just past five--he was still on Mont Saint Jean
making another desperate stand against the Imperial cavalry with troops
half worn out with discouragement and whose endurance must even now be
giving way.

At this hour the Prussians had appeared at Braine L'Alleud, they had
engaged Reille at Plancenoit, but Wellington and the British had still
to hold their ground or the news which de Marmont intended to accompany
to London might prove true after all.

Ye gods, if only that were possible! How gladly would Victor then have