this impudence the eyes of the Countess began to sparkle, and an
angry flush mounted to her cheeks.

"Madame," said I, "he is only a German boy, unbalanced by his own
importance and his first battle. But he will never forget this lesson;
let him digest it in his own manner."

And he did, for presently there came a polite knock at the door, and
the lieutenant reappeared, bowing rigidly, one hand on his sword-hilt,
the other holding his helmet by the gilt spike.

"Lieutenant von Eberbach present to apologize," he said, jerkily, red
as a beet. "Begs permission to take a half-dozen of wine; men very
thirsty."

"Lieutenant von Eberbach may take the wine," said the Countess,
calmly.

"Rudeness without excuse!" muttered the boy; "beg the graciously
well-born lady not to judge my regiment or my country by it. Can
Lieutenant von Eberbach make amends?"

"The Lieutenant has made them," said the Countess. "The merciful
treatment of French prisoners will prove his sincerity."

The lad made another rigid bow and got himself out of the door with
more or less dignity, and the Countess drew a chair beside my
sofa-chair and sat down, eyes still bright with the cinders of a wrath
I had never suspected in her.

Together we looked down into the street.

Under the window the flat, high-pitched drums began to rattle; deep
voices shouted; the whole street undulated with masses of
gray-and-black uniforms, moving forward through the smoke. A superb
regimental band began to play; the troops broke out into heavy
cheering.

"Vorwaerts! Vorwaerts!" came the steady commands. The band passed with
a dull flash of instruments; a thousand brass helmet-spikes pricked
the smoke; the tread of the Prussian infantry shook the earth.

"The invasion has begun," I said.

Her face was expressionless, save for the brightness of her eyes.

And now another band sounded, playing "I Had a Comrade!" and the
whole street began to ring with the noble marching-song of the coming
regiment.

"Bavarian infantry," I whispered, as the light-blue columns wheeled
around the curve and came swinging up the street; for I could see the
yellow crown on the collars of their tunics, and the heavy leather
helmets, surmounted by chenille rolls.

Behind them trotted a squadron of Uhlans on their dainty horses, under
a canopy of little black-and-white flags fluttering from the points of
their lances.

"Uhlans," I murmured. I heard the faint click of her teeth closing