s division; and might possibly hear
whether he took over the marshal's personal staff, or whether he
brought his own officers with him."

"Yes, I should think I might do that, count. I think I shall in any
case report myself to the king; but if Lindsay were stationed at
any place I could pass through, on my way to Breslau, I would pick
up Karl and my horse."

"I shall of course send you another horse tomorrow," the count
said. "No, no, it is of no use your saying anything against it. It
was settled that I should supply you with mounts, while the war
lasted, and I intend to carry that out fully. I don't know that I
have another in my stables here that is quite equal to the other
pair, but there are two or three that approach them very nearly. If
you can get a mounted orderly, well and good; if not, I will lend
you one of my men. Any of my grooms would be delighted to go with
you, for all regard you as the saviour of our lives.

"I am afraid, my friend, you will not be able to pay us many more
visits. Your king is a miracle of steadfastness, of energy, and
rapidity; but even he cannot perform impossibilities. Leave out the
Russians, and I believe that he would be more than a match for the
Austrians, who are hampered by the slowness of their generals; but
Russia cannot be ignored. In the first campaign she was
non-existent, in the second she annexed East Prussia. This year you
have had a deadly tussle with her, next year she may be still more
formidable; and I do not believe that Frederick with all his skill,
and with the splendid valour his troops show, can keep the Russians
from advancing still further into the country, and at the same time
prevent the Austrians and the Federal army from snatching Dresden
from his grasp.

"I myself should regret this deeply. Prussia, although she taxes
the population heavily, at least permits no disorders nor ill
treatment of the people, no plundering of the villages; while the
Austrians, Croats, and Pandoors will spread like a swarm of hornets
over the land, and the state of the Saxons under their so-called
rescuers will be infinitely worse than it has been under their
conquerors."

"It would be a heavy blow to the king to lose Dresden," Fergus
agreed, "but I am by no means sure that he would not be better
without it; except, of course, that it would bring the enemy so
much nearer to Berlin, otherwise the loss of Saxony would be a
benefit to him. During all his movements, and in