experience, so must every man at one time or other. His only error,
hitherto, has been his condescending to come at all with so small a
force under his command. No English army should ever plant its foot
upon the Continent with less than fifty thousand men on its
muster-roll. The duke's being put at the head of your troops--only a
division after all--seems to me the only wise thing that has been
done. It was a declaration of the heartiness of your alliance; and I
honour your country for the distinctness of the avowal. Your king
gives his son, as your country gives her soldiers, and your people
give their money. The whole was manly, magnanimous, or, as the highest
panegyric, it was English all over."

This language at once put an end to all my reserve. I shook his hand
in the spirit of old friendship; and, on our parting, extracted a
promise of keeping up our communication on all possible opportunities.
We had already separated, when I heard my name called again, and
Guiscard returned. "I had forgotten," said he, "to tell you what I was
most anxious to say. If I had seen no other prospect for you, I should
be the last man to make you discontented with your profession. My only
request is, that when you once more tread on English ground, you will
seriously consider whether you will continue in the army. If know you
at all, I think that you would not be altogether satisfied with
wearing your epaulettes at reviews and parades. And, if I am not
entirely mistaken, you will have nothing else for the next dozen
years. Your army are moving homewards already. You are now in the
secret."

"But is the campaign absolutely coming to an end? Are the hopes of
attacking the French so suddenly given up? Is France always to baffle
us?" was my vexed question.

"As to the fate of France, you should consult a prophet, not a
Prussian engineer--and one terribly tired of his trade besides," was
the reply. We parted; but the conversation was not lost upon me.

By midnight I was on my journey. My route lay through the Flemish
provinces, which had now recovered all their luxuriance, if not
derived additional animation from the activity which every where
follows the movements of a successful army. Troops marching to join
the general advance frequently and strikingly diversified the scene.
Huge trains of the commissariat were continually on the road. The
little civic authorities were doubly conscious of the dignity of
functions which brought the