Part 38 (1/2)
34 On the Eve of Battle
Raoul was aroused from his sombre reflections by his host, who rushed into the apart out, ”The Spaniards! the Spaniards!”
That cry was of such i menby way of Houdin and Bethune
While Monsieur d'Arave orders for the horses to bemen ascended to the upper s of the house and saw in the direction of Marsin and of Lens a large body of infantry and cavalry This ti troop of partisans; it was an entire ar for thees and beat a retreat They quickly went downstairs Monsieur d'Ares was alreadyuarded carefully between theht for his use As a further precaution they had bound his hands
The little company started off at a trot on the road to Cambrin, where they expected to find the prince But he was no longer there, having withdrawn on the previous evening to La Bassee, ence of the eneence he had concentrated his forces between Vieille-Chapelle and La Venthie; and after a reconnoissance along the entire line, in company with Marshal de Grammont, he had returned and seated himself before a table, with his officers around hied to obtain, but nothing positive had been learned The hostile arone out of existence
Now an ene, as when he has completely disappeared The prince was, therefore, contrary to his custoloomy and anxious, when an officer entered and announced to Marshal de Grammont that some one wished to see him
The Duc de Gralance and went out The prince followed hi at the door; no one ventured to speak, for fear of disturbing him
Suddenly a dull and heavy noise was heard The prince leaped to his feet, extending his hand in the direction whence ca it--it was the noise of cannon Every one stood up
At that neur,” said Marshal de Grahness per coive news of the ene for hierly replied the prince, ”will I permit? I not only permit, I desire; let the men and placed theentle them; ”first speak; we shall have ti now is to learn where the ene”
It fell naturally to the Count de Guiche to make reply; not only was he the elder, but he had been presented to the prince by his father Besides, he had long known the prince, whilst Raoul no him for the first time He therefore narrated to the prince what they had seen froarbe
Meanwhile Raoul closely observed the young general, already , and Nordlingen
Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Conde, who, since the death of his father, Henri de Bourbon, was called, in accordance with the custo man, not more than twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with the eye of an eagle--agl' occhi grifani, as Dante says--aquiline nose, long, waving hair, of ht, well formed, possessed of all the qualities essential to the successful soldier--that is to say, the rapid glance, quick decision, fabulous courage At the sa mind, so that in addition to the revolution he had made in war, by his new contributions to itsthe young noblemen of the court, whose natural chief he was and who, in distinction from the social leaders of the ancient court, ouleme, were called the petits-maitres
At the first words of the Count de Guiche, the prince, having in mind the direction whence ca The ene upon Lens, with the intention, doubtless, of securing possession of that town and separating from France the army of France But in what force was the enemy? Was it a corps sent out to make a diversion? Was it an entire army? To this question De Guiche could not respond
Now, as these questions involved ravest consequence, it was these to which the prince had especially desired an answer, exact, precise, positive
Raoul conquered the very natural feeling of ti the prince: ”My lord,” he said, ”will you permit me to hazard a feords on that subject, which will perhaps relieve you of your uncertainty?”
The prince turned and seelance; he s that he was a child hardly fifteen years old
”Certainly,his stern, accented tones, as if he were speaking to a woht examine the Spanish prisoner”
”Have you a Spanish prisoner?” cried the prince
”Yes, my lord”
”Ah, that is true,” said De Guiche; ”I had forgotten it”
”That is easily understood; it was you who took hi
The old rateful for that praise of his son, whilst the prince exclaiht in”
Meanwhile the prince took De Guiche aside and asked hitoward Raoul, ”I know that you have a letter froueville; but I see that you have preferred coood counsel”
”My lord,” said Raoul, coloring up, ”I did not wish to interrupt your highness in a conversation so ied with the count But here is the letter”
”Very well,” said the prince; ”give it to me later Here is the prisoner; let us attend to what is ”
The prisoner was one of those military adventurers who sold their blood to whoever would buy, and grew old in stratagems and spoils Since he had been taken he had not uttered a word, so that it was not known to what country he belonged The prince looked at him with unspeakable distrust
”Of what country are you?” asked the prince
The prisoner ue
”Ah! ah! it seems that he is a Spaniard Do you speak Spanish, Grammont?”
”Faith, my lord, but indifferently”
”And I not at all,” said the prince, laughing ”Gentle to those ere near him ”can any one of you speak Spanish and serve me as interpreter?”
”I can, my lord,” said Raoul
”Ah, you speak Spanish?”
”Enough, I think, to fulfill your highness's wishes on this occasion”
Meanwhile the prisoner had re of as taking place
”My lord asks of what country you are,” said the young man, in the purest Castilian
”Ich bin ein Deutscher,” replied the prisoner
”What in the devil does he say?” asked the prince ”What new gibberish is that?”
”He says he is German, my lord,” replied Raoul; ”but I doubt it, for his accent is bad and his pronunciation defective”
”Then you speak German, also?” asked the prince