t had all along been believed that
the retrograde movements were the result of the advice of the minister,
Count Romanzow--"such an order would be regarded as one that did not
express his Imperial Majesty's real sentiments and wishes, but had been
extracted from his Majesty under false representations or external
control, and that the army would continue to maintain its pledge and to
pursue the contest till the invader was driven beyond the frontier."

"We are here, General Wilson," one of the generals said, "to beg you to
undertake the delivery of this message to the Emperor. It would mean
death to any Russian officer who undertook the commission, but, knowing
your attachment to the Emperor, and his equally well-known feelings
towards yourself, no person is so well qualified to lay the expression
of our sentiments before him. Your motives in doing so cannot be
suspected; coming from you, the Emperor's self-respect would not suffer
in the same way as it would do, were the message conveyed to him by one
of his own subjects."

One after another the generals urged the request.

Sir Robert listened to their arguments, and then said: "This is
altogether too grave a matter for me to decide upon hastily. I know
thoroughly well that there is no thought of disloyalty in the mind of
any of you towards the will of the Emperor, but the act is one of the
gravest insubordination, and it is indeed a threat that you will disobey
his Majesty's commands in the event of his ordering a suspension of
hostilities. As to the conduct of the commander-in-chief, I am not
competent to express any opinion whatever, but as a soldier I can
understand that this long-continued retreat and the abandonment of so
many provinces to the enemy, without striking a single blow in their
defence, is trying in the extreme, both to yourselves and your brave
soldiers. I shall not leave the army until I see it fairly on the march
again, but before I start I will give you my reply."

The generals thanked Sir Robert warmly, and then withdrew.

"I shall write no more to-night, Wyatt," the general said when Frank
entered the tent. "I have other grave matters to think about. You had
best lie down at once, and get a few hours' sleep. To-morrow is likely
to be an eventful day, for the operation of withdrawing the army from
this position and getting on to the main road again will be full of
peril, and may indeed end in a terrible disaster."

As soon as the Russian ar