*

CHAPTER XL

WATERLOO

Would Wellington hold on to his position? This was the thought that
troubled the Emperor on the night after the wild chase from Quatre
Bras. Before retiring to rest at the Caillou farm, he went to the
front with Bertrand and a young officer, Gudin by name, and peered at
the enemy's fires dimly seen through the driving sheets of rain.
Satisfied that the allies were there, he returned to the farm,
dictated a few letters on odious parliamentary topics, and then sought
a brief repose. But the same question drove sleep from his eyes. At
one o'clock he was up again and with the faithful Bertrand plashed to
the front through long rows of drenched recumbent forms. Once more
they strained their ears to catch through the hiss of the rain some
sound of a muffled retirement. Strange thuds came now and again from
the depths of the wood of Hougoumont: all else was still. At last,
over the slope on the north-east crowned by the St. Lambert Wood there
stole the first glimmer of gray; little by little the murky void
bodied forth dim shapes, and the watch-fires burnt pale against the
orient gleams. It was enough. He turned back to the farm. Wellington
could scarcely escape him now.

While the Emperor was making the round of his outposts, a somewhat
cryptic despatch from Grouchy reached headquarters. The Marshal
reported from Gembloux, at 10 p.m. of the 17th, that part of the
Prussians had retired towards Wavre, seemingly with a view to joining
Wellington; that their centre, led by Bluecher, had fallen back on
Perwez in the direction of Liege; while a column with artillery had
made for Namur; if he found the enemy's chief force to be on the Liege
_chaussee_, he would pursue them along that road; if towards Wavre, he
would follow them thither "in order that they may not gain Brussels,
and so as to separate them from Wellington." This last phrase ought
surely to have convinced Napoleon that Grouchy had not fully
understood his instructions; for to march on Wavre would not stop the
Prussians joining Wellington, if they were in force.[503]

Moreover, Napoleon now knew, what Grouchy did not know, that the
Prussians were in force at Wavre. It seems strange that the Emperor
did not send this important news to his Marshal; but perhaps we may
explain this by his absence at the outposts. As it was, no clear
statement of the facts of the case was sent off to Grouchy _until 10
a.m. of the 18th_. He then informe