edish cause only the corps which he immediately commanded.

Still his defection could not but cause a vast gap in the Imperial
defences, and the loss of the services of the greatest of their leaders
would in itself be a heavy blow to the Imperialist cause, which had been
almost solely supported by his commanding talents and his vast private
income. Terzky arrived on the following morning, and the same afternoon
Wallenstein with the whole of the troops at Pilsen marched towards Egra.

Among the officers attached to Wallenstein's person was a Scotchman
named Leslie, to whom and a few other confidants Wallenstein had
confided his designs. Wallenstein had at once introduced Malcolm to him,
and the two rode in company during the march to Egra. Malcolm did not
find him a cheerful companion. They chatted at times of the engagements
in which both had taken part although on opposite sides; but Malcolm saw
that his companion was absent and preoccupied, and that he avoided any
conversation as to the turn which events had taken.

At the end of the first day's ride Malcolm came to the decided
conclusion that he did not like his companion, and, moreover, that his
heart was far from being in the enterprise on which they were engaged.
The following day he avoided joining him, and rode with some of the
other officers. Upon their arrival at Egra the gates were opened at
their approach, and Colonel Butler, an Irishman who commanded the
garrison, met Wallenstein as he entered, and saluted him with all
honour. Wallenstein was pleased to find that the disaffection which had
spread so rapidly through the army had not reached Egra.

A few hours after he had entered the town Wallenstein received the news
that an Imperial edict had been issued proclaiming him a traitor and an
outlaw; he also learned that the corps under the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
was within a day's march of Egra. As soon as the duke retired to his
apartments Leslie sought out Colonel Butler, and revealed to him
the purposes of Wallenstein, and informed him of the Imperial order
absolving the army from their allegiance to him. The two men, with
Lieutenant Colonel Gordon, another Imperialist officer, at once
determined to capture Wallenstein and to hand him over as a prisoner to
the emperor.

In the afternoon Leslie had an interview with Wallenstein, who told him
of the near approach of the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Weimar, and
informed him of his plans for advancing fr