nd of the month that he was allowed to move
from his recumbent position. A week later and he was able to sit up. On
the following day, to his surprise, the Count of Mansfeld strode into
his tent.

"Ah! my young friend," he exclaimed, "I am glad indeed to see you so
far recovered. I came to Leipzig with the countess and my daughter;
for Leipzig at present is the centre where all sorts of political
combinations are seething as in a cooking pot. It is enough to make one
sick of humanity and ashamed of one's country when one sees the greed
which is displayed by every one, from the highest of the princes down to
petty nobles who can scarce set twenty men in the field.

"Each and all are struggling to make terms by which he may better
himself, and may add a province or an acre, as the case may be, to his
patrimony at the expense of his neighbours. Truly I wonder that the
noble Oxenstiern, who represents Sweden, does not call together the
generals and troops of that country from all parts and march away
northward, leaving these greedy princes and nobles to fight their own
battles, and make the best terms they may with their Imperial master.

"But there, all that does not interest you at present; but I am so full
of spleen and disgust that I could not help letting it out. We arrived
there a week since, and of course one of our first inquiries was for
you, and we heard to our grief that the Imperialists had shot one of
their bullets through your body and another through your arm. This, of
course, would have been sufficient for any ordinary carcass; but I knew
my Scotchman, and was not surprised when they told me you were mending
fast.

"I had speech yesterday with an officer who had ridden over from this
camp, and he told me that the doctors said you were now convalescent,
but would need repose and quiet for some time before you could again
buckle on armour. The countess, when I told her, said at once, 'Then we
will take him away back with us to Mansfeld.' Thekla clapped her hands
and said, `That will be capital! we will look after him, and he shall
tell us stories about the wars.'

"So the thing was settled at once. I have brought over with me a horse
litter, and have seen your surgeon, who says that although it will be
some weeks before you can sit on a horse without the risk of your wound
bursting out internally, there is no objection to your progression in a
litter by easy stages; so that is settled, and the doctor will