rs, who instantly left the room, and was again as gay and
animated as ever; he stayed to supper, and then went home.

[Illustration: A review of the British Army by Wellington.]

The trumpet's loud call awoke every sleeper in the city of Brussels a
little after midnight. Then it became known that the French had
advanced to Charleroi, which they had taken, and that the English
troops were ordered to advance and support the Prussians. Instantly
the place resounded with martial preparations; and as soldiers were
quartered in every house, the whole town became one bustling scene.

At daylight the troops were under arms, and at eight o'clock set out
for Quatre Bras, the expected scene of action in advance of Charleroi;
the fifth division taking the direct road through the forest of
Soignies.

Early in the afternoon, Marshal Ney attacked the Prince of Orange, and
by an overwhelming superiority of troops was driving him back through
a thick wood called "Le Bois de Bossen," when the leading columns of
the English reached Quatre Bras. Wellington's eye at once saw the
critical condition of his ally; and, though the troops had marched
twenty miles under a sultry sky, he knew their spirit was indomitable,
and gave the welcome order that the wood must be immediately regained.

On came Ney's infantry, doubling that of his opponents' in number,
supported by a crashing fire of artillery, quickly followed by the
cavalry, which, dashing through the rye crops, more than breast high,
charged the English regiments as soon as they reached the
battle-ground.

Yet, though unable properly to establish themselves, they formed
squares, and roughly repelled the enemy. Fierce and frequent were the
efforts of the French to break the squares. Showers of grape poured
upon them; and the moment an opening appeared, on rushed the lancers.
But the dead were quickly removed; and, though the squares were
lessened, they still presented an unbroken line of glittering
bayonets, which neither the spears of the lancers, nor the long swords
of the cuirassiers could break through. A division of the Guards from
Enghien, coming up at this crisis, gallantly charged the enemy, and in
half an hour cleared the wood of them completely. This exploit was
remarkable, achieved as it was by young soldiers after a toilsome
march of fifteen hours, during which time they had been without
anything to eat or drink. The fire of the French artillery, and the
charges of cavalr