re the history of the world hung for a day as on a thread.
But a flash of the dying genius surmounted superhuman difficulties, and
the catastrophe was turned into a disaster. The divisions of Victor and
Oudinot--the last to preserve any semblance of military discipline--were
almost annihilated. The French lost twelve thousand killed or drowned in
the river, sixteen thousand prisoners, twelve of the remaining guns.
But they were across the Beresina. There was no longer a Grand Army,
however. There was no army at all--only a starving, struggling trail of
men stumbling through the snow, without organization or discipline or
hope.

It was a disaster on the same gigantic scale as the past victories--a
disaster worthy of such a conqueror. Even his enemies forgot to rejoice.
They caught their breath and waited.

And suddenly came the news that Napoleon was in Paris.

CHAPTER XVII. A FORLORN HOPE.

The fire i' the flint
Shows not, till it be struck.

"It is time to do something," said Papa Barlasch on the December morning
when the news reached Dantzig that Napoleon was no longer with the
army--that he had made over the parody of command of the phantom army
to Murat, King of Naples--that he had passed like an evil spirit unknown
through Poland, Prussia, Germany, travelling twelve hundred miles night
and day at breakneck speed, alone, racing to Paris to save his throne.

"It is time to do something," said all Europe, when it was too late.
For Napoleon was himself again--alert, indomitable, raising a new army,
calling on France to rise to such heights of energy and vitality as
only France can compass; for the colder nations of the North lack the
imagination that enables men to pit themselves against the gods at the
bidding of some stupendous will, only second to the will of God Himself.

"Go to Dantzig, and hold it till I come," Napoleon had said to Rapp.
"Retreat to Poland, and hold on to anything you can till I come back
with a new army," he had commanded Murat and Prince Eugene.

"It is time to do something," said all the conquered nations, looking at
each other for initiation. And lo! the Master of Surprises struck them
dumb by his sudden apparition in his own capital, with all the strings
of the European net gathered as if by magic into his own hands again.

While everybody told his neighbour that it was time to do something, no
one knew what to do. For it has pleased the Creator to put a