ecognized him as soon as he
entered.

"Will one of you ask the count to see me? Let him have the message
quietly, when he is alone."

"Your master is not killed?" one of the women exclaimed, in
consternation.

"Killed! No, Colonel Drummond is not so easily killed," he replied
scornfully. "I have a letter from him in my pocket. But he has been
somewhat hurt, and it were best that I saw the count first, and
that he should himself give the letter to the Countess Thirza."

In two or three minutes the man returned, and led Karl to a room
where the count was awaiting him, with a look of great anxiety on
his face.

"All is well, your excellency," Karl said, in answer to the look.
"At least, if not altogether well, not so bad as it might be. The
colonel was hit at Torgau. A cannonball took off his left arm at
the elbow. Fortunately, there were surgeons at work a quarter of a
mile away, and he was in their hands within a very few minutes of
being hit; so they made a job of his wound, at once. They had not
taken the bandages off, when I came away; but as there had been no
bleeding, and no great pain or fever, they think it is going on
well. They tell him that he will be fit for service, save for his
half-empty sleeve, in the spring.

"Here is a letter for the Countess Thirza. It is not written by his
own hand, except as to the signature; for the surgeons insist that
he must lie perfectly quiet, for any exertion might cause the wound
to break out afresh. He is quite cheerful, and in good spirits, as
he always is. He bade me give this note into your hands, so that
you might prepare the young countess a little, before giving it to
her."

"'Tis bad news, Karl, but it might have been much worse; and it
will, indeed, be a relief to us all; for since we heard of that
desperate fight at Torgau, and how great was the slaughter on both
sides, we have been anxious, indeed; and must have remained so, for
we should have had little chance of seeing the list of the Prussian
killed and wounded.

"Now, do you go into the kitchen. They all know you there. Make
yourself comfortable. I will give orders that you shall be well
served."

He then proceeded to the room where Thirza and her mother wore
sitting. The former was pale, and had evidently been crying.

"Some news has come," he said. "Not the very best, and yet by no
means the worst. Drummond is wounded--a severe wound, but not, it
is confidently believed, a dangerous one."

Th