dia, than in any service in the
world--even in that of Prussia."

"You are right, lad. Since the days of Marlborough, people have
begun to think that the British were no longer a fighting people;
but the way in which they have wrested Canada from the French, and
achieved marvels in India, to say nothing of the conduct of their
infantry at Minden, shows that the qualities of the race are
unchanged; and some day they will astonish the world again, as they
have done several times in their history."

The king soon heard the news from the Earl, and one evening said to
Fergus:

"So, as the Earl Marischal tells me, you have found time, Colonel
Drummond, for love making. I thought, that day I went to express my
regrets for the outrage that had been committed at Count
Eulenfurst's, that it would make a pretty romance if the young lady
who received me should take a fancy to you; which was not
altogether unlikely, after the gallant manner in which you had
saved them all from those rascals of mine; and when you told me, at
Dresden, that they had been nursing you, the idea again occurred to
me. Well, I am glad you have done so well for yourself. As a king,
I rejoice that one who has fought so bravely should obtain a meet
reward; and as one who dabbles in poetry, the romance of the thing
is very pleasant to me.

"But I am not to lose your services, I hope?"

"No, sire. So long as the war goes on, I shall continue to serve
your majesty to the best of my powers."

The king nodded.

"It is what I should have expected, from one of Marshal Keith's
relations," he said; "but it is not everyone who would care to go
on leading this dog's life, when a pretty and well-endowed bride is
awaiting him.

"However, it cannot last much longer. The crisis must come, ere
long. If we can defeat Daun, it may be put off for a time. If we
are beaten, I do not see that I can struggle longer against fate.
With Berlin already in their hands, with the country denuded of men
and almost exhausted in means, with the Russian and Austrian armies
already planted on Prussian soil, I can do no more, if I lose
another great battle."

"We must hope that it will not be so, sire. The spirit of the
soldiers is as high as ever and, now that they will be fighting
nearly within sight of their homes, they can be trusted to achieve
almost impossibilities."

"The men are good men," the king said, "and if I had Keith and
Schwerin by my side, I should feel more hope