ances
for dressing wounds. Captain Ladoinski's wound had been dressed with
moss and bandaged with parchment! In a few minutes after making this
discovery Madame Ladoinski had bandaged her husband's wound with lint
and linen. It was a great relief to the warrior, and settling down in
a comfortable chair he proceeded to question his wife as to how she had
fared during his absence, and then to relate his own adventures.

Suddenly, as they sat talking, a fierce red light shone into the room,
which had until then been in darkness, except for the feeble glimmer
from a shaded lamp in the corner. Rising quickly, Madame Ladoinski
went to the window, closely followed by her husband, who uttered an
exclamation of surprise when he saw that a fire was raging in the newly
captured city.

Taking up his lance Captain Ladoinski hurried out, to order his men to
assist in subduing the fire, but at the doorway he was met by a
messenger who made known to him Napoleon's command, that the troops
billeted in that portion of the town were not to leave their quarters.
Surprised at this order, Captain Ladoinski returned to his wife, and
together they watched from their window the rapidly extending fire.
The burning part of the city was at a considerable distance from where
they stood, but it seemed to them that unless prompt measures were
taken it would be impossible to save the city from utter destruction.
Hundreds of soldiers were resting near them who might have been busily
employed in checking the progress of the flames. The truth dawned on
both of them. Napoleon did not see his way to save Moscow from this
new calamity.

Now Aimee Ladoinski had resided for some time in Moscow, and its
streets and palaces were familiar to her, and the thought of their
ruthless destruction to thwart the designs of one man filled her with
shame--shame that he who had caused this act of vandalism was a
Frenchman.

Madame Ladoinski did not admire Napoleon, for she was at heart a
Bourbon, and regarded him as an usurper. The reckless sacrifice of
thousands of his fellow countrymen for his own aggrandisement filled
her with loathing for the man, and she did not conceal her feelings
from her husband, who made no attempt to defend the emperor. It was
not for love of him that Captain Ladoinski had fought under 'the Little
Corporal.' He was a Pole, and it was because Napoleon was fighting the
oppressor of the Polish race--Russia--that he fought for the Fre