at to Weissenfels is cut off for Friedrich: an Austrian party has
been at the Herren-Muhle Bridge this morning, has torn it up and pitched
it into the river; planks far on to Merseburg by this time. And, in
fact, unless Friedrich be nimble--But that he usually is.

Friedrich's dinner had gone on with deliberation for about two hours,
Friedrich's intentions not yet known to any, but everybody, great and
small, waiting eagerly for them, like greyhounds on the slip,--when
Adjutant Gaudi, who had been on the House-top the while, rushes into the
Dining-room faster than he ought, and, with some tremor in his voice and
eyes, reports hastily: "At Schevenroda, at Pettstadt yonder! Enemy has
turned to left. Clearly for the left."--"Well, and if he do? No flurry
needed, Captain!" answered Friedrich,--(NOT in these precise words; but
rebuking Gaudi, with a look not of laughter wholly, and with a certain
question, as to the state of Gaudi's stomachic part, which is still
known in traditionary circles, but is not mentionable here);--and went,
with due gravity, himself to the roof, with his Officers. "To the
left, sure enough; meaning to attack us there:" the thing Friedrich had
despaired of is voluntarily coming, then;--and it is a thing of stern
qualities withal; a wager of life, with glorious possibilities behind.

Friedrich earnestly surveys the phenomenon for some minutes; in some
minutes, Friedrich sees his way through it, at least into it, and how
he will do it. Off, eastward; march! Swift are his orders; almost still
swifter the fulfillment of them. Prussian Army is a nimble article in
comparison with Dauphiness! In half an hour's time, all is packed and
to the road; and, except Mayer and certain Free-Corps or Light-Horse,
to amuse St. Germain and his Almsdorf people, there is not a Prussian
visible in these localities to French eyes. "At half-past two," says the
Squire's Man,--or let us take him a sentence earlier, to lose nothing
of such a Document: "At noon his Majesty took dinner; sat till about
two o'clock; then again went to the roof; and perceived that the
Enemy's Army at Pettstadt were turning about the little Wood there
northeastward, as if for Lunstadt [into the Lunstadt road];--such
cannonading too," from those Almsdorf people, "that the balls flew over
our heads,"--or I tremulously thought so. "At half-past two, the word
was given, March! And good speed they made about it, in this Herrenhaus,
and out of doors too,