CHAPTER XIV: JUST IN TIME
The regiment of Poitou had suffered heavily in the battles of Freiburg.In the first advance Turenne had placed it in the rear of his infantry.
"I must have, Hector," he said, "a reserve upon which I can implicitlyrely; brought up at the right moment it might decide the fate of abattle, if we are beaten it can allow the disorganized regimentsto pass, check the pursuit of the enemy, and retire in good order,contesting every foot of the ground until the rest of the force haveemerged from the mouth of the defile and been enabled to form up insufficient order to withstand the effect of the enemy's cavalry."
The regiment, therefore, took no part in the work of clearing the defileof the enemy's infantry, and for the first four hours of the battleremained in the rear. Then Turenne ordered it to the front, to take theplace of the regiments which had already lost half their strength,and were no longer capable of resisting the continued assaults ofthe Imperialists. Turenne himself rode with Hector at the head of theregiment. They pushed their way through the hardly pressed troops infront, and when they faced the enemy deployed and poured a terriblevolley into their assailants, and for the remaining three hours bore thewhole brunt of the battle. Standing four deep, their flanks resting uponthe rising ground on either side of the mouth of the pass, the two frontlines alone maintained their fire so long as infantry only pressed them,the two lines behind being ordered by Hector not to fire a shot. When,however, the Bavarian infantry drew aside and the cavalry thundereddown, the front lines fell back through those behind them, and thelatter received the cavalry with such terrible volleys of musketry thatthey each time broke and fled.
Turenne, after seeing the Poitou regiment take up its post, occupiedhimself in reforming the remains of the other regiments, and raisingtheir spirits by warm words of commendation at the manner in which theyhad fought, until assured that they in turn could, if necessary, jointhe first line if it were forced to give way. When he had done this herejoined Hector, who had dismounted and moved backwards and forwardsamong the men, seeing that the gaps caused by the enemy's fire wereconstantly filled up, and encouraging the soldiers with praise andexhortations. Turenne sat upon his horse some paces behind the rearline. When he saw the Bavarian infantry draw aside, and heard the roarof the cavalry charge, his lips tightened, and he half turned his horseas if to call up the regiments behind. When, however, he saw the linesthat had hitherto been in rear take up their place in front and standthere quiet and immovable, the look of irresolution passed from hisface, and, after the Bavarian horse had fallen back, shattered by theirvolleys, he pressed a pace or two forward and shouted, "Regiment ofPoitou, I thank you in the name of France; never saw I a regiment fightmore bravely or steadily!"
The men responded with a loud cheer to this praise from one whom allrespected and loved. Turenne then rode up to Hector.
"Splendidly done, Colonel Campbell! I had rather wondered why you kepthalf your men idle in such a fight; I now understand why you did so. Hadall been firing, three-quarters of their muskets would have been empty,and you would possibly have been overthrown. It was a stroke of genius.I may have taught you many lessons in war, but tonight you have given meone."
Turenne remained with the regiment till the end of the fight, and markedwith approval the way in which each line fought by turns, while theother remained behind them ready to receive the charges of the cavalry.As soon as the Bavarians drew off he saw that all the wounded werecarried to the rear, where the surgeons rendered what aid was possible,while the rest of the troops threw themselves down to snatch a fewhours' sleep. When, three hours later, Enghien's troops came down fromthe hill they had won, Turenne's force marched out from the defile.Turenne mounted his horse, and, calling upon Hector to follow him, rodeforward with his principal officers to meet Enghien.
"It has been a terrible battle, prince, and if your loss equals mine thevictory has indeed been won at a terrible cost."
"Mine has been heavy, too," Enghien said, "but we have gained ourobject."
"Not wholly," Turenne replied, "for Merci has taken up a position asstrong as that from which we have driven him."
"I wish that I could have lent you a hand in the fight," Enghien said,"but the Bavarians had fallen back into the woods, and we knew notwhether they still held their ground there. In the rain and darknessit would have been dangerous to have crossed the broken ground withits woods and ravines, and the troops, after their exertions and heavymarches, were incapable of such an effort. Indeed, I had lost fully halfmy infantry, and the cavalry would be useless for such work. You mustindeed have been sorely pressed, having Merci's whole force to contendwith. Still, I had no doubt even if you could not issue from thedefile you would be able to check the enemy." Then the generals in turnrepeated the details of the battles in which they had been engaged andthe losses they had suffered.
Turenne then introduced his principal officers to Enghien, and when hehad done so called up Hector.
"I need not introduce this officer to you, prince," he said.
"No, indeed," Enghien replied, holding out his hand; "I have good reasonto recollect you, Colonel Campbell. You have heard, marshal, what a goodservice he rendered me at Rocroi?"
"He has rendered me one no less this night," Turenne said. "I never sawa regiment stand more steadily than the one which he commands, and whichhe has trained to what seems to me perfection. For the last three hoursthat regiment alone bore the brunt of the battle, although assailedalternately by infantry and cavalry, and thus afforded time to reformthe regiments that fought earlier in the afternoon and to give me hopethat even were the enemy to overcome the resistance of his men, I couldstill be able to check their further advance."
He then told Enghien the manner in which Hector had arranged and foughthis troops.
"A good device indeed," Enghien said warmly, "and methinks it worthy ofadoption whenever infantry have to meet other infantry and cavalry, forthe muskets take so long to reload that there might not be half a dozenmen ready to give fire when the cavalry charge. Is that one of the manylessons that he tells me you have given him?"
"No, indeed; it has not, so far as I am aware, ever been tried before.Parts of regiments are often held in reserve to reinforce their comradesif necessary, but this method, whereby half the regiment are able at amoment's notice to meet cavalry with their muskets loaded, is methinks,entirely new, and in such cases as the present very valuable."
In the second day's fighting Turenne's army had taken but small share,for during the retreat of the Bavarians the cavalry alone had come intoplay.
The Bavarians having retreated into Wurtemberg, a council of war washeld to decide in what manner the greatest advantage could be gainedduring their absence. Most of the chief officers were in favour ofretaking Freiburg. Turenne was of a different opinion. He representedthat the siege would occupy a considerable time, and that if successfulthey would, at the end of a campaign, have simply retaken a town thatwas theirs when it began. They could therefore point to no advantagegained by their efforts or by the loss of so many men. He advised,therefore, that as the Bavarian army was now sixty miles away, andcould not very well return, as it would need large reinforcements, freshcannon, and baggage wagons, they should take the opportunity of makingthemselves masters of the whole course of the Rhine and even of thePalatinate.
The Duc d'Enghien declared for this plan. Turenne went at once toBreisach, and arranged for the transport, by boat down the Rhine, of allthe necessaries for the siege of Philippsburg. The army started on the16th of August, a part of Turenne's army being detached to capture smalltowns and castles. On the 23rd of August Philippsburg was invested byTurenne, Enghien's force arriving on the following day. Philippsburgstood on the Rhine, which at this point formed a sharp elbow, and theland being low, many morasses surrounded the town, and the approachtherefore was exceedingly difficult. Eight hundred paces from the townstood a square fort, which commanded the river, and was connected withthe town by a causeway. The town itself had seve
n bastions, round theseran a very thick hedge, and the moat was wide and full of water. Thegarrison was a weak one, not exceeding a thousand men, but they had ahundred pieces of cannon and a large store of ammunition.
Feeling that he could not hold a fort so far from the town, thecommander withdrew the garrison from it, and Turenne seized it, andplaced a strong force there. Enghien then threw up strong lines in asemicircle round the town to protect the army in case any large force ofthe enemy should endeavour to relieve it. This occupied four days,and in the meantime the boats had arrived with cannon, ammunition, andprovisions. A bridge was thrown across the river in twenty-four hours,and a force was sent over; this attacked and captured Germersheim, andthen marched to Spires, which at once opened its gates on the 29th ofAugust. In the meantime the siege of Philippsburg was begun in earnest.The approaches could only be carried on in one place, where the groundwas sandy, and continued so up to two of the bastions of the town.
Turenne commanded the attack against the right bastion, de Gramont thaton the left. They first diverted a brook running through the plain, andwere enabled to use its channel as an approach, thus advancing fifteenhundred paces nearer to the town. They then formed an intrenchment thatcould be used by both columns, and from this on the 1st of Septemberthey began to open their trenches against their respective bastions. DeGramont's works were attacked on the following day by a sortie; this,however, was driven back. On the fifth night both columns made alodgment on the counterscarp, and their batteries opened fire. Aftersome days' work they filled up the ditch, and seeing that his force wastoo weak to oppose so strong an attack, the commander surrendered on the12th of September.
Although Merci was advancing with an army, Enghien continued the projectthat had been formed, and, remaining with his own troops to protectPhilippsburg, sent Turenne with all his horse and five hundred footto Worms, which threw open its gates. Oppenheim surrendered withoutresistance, and he arrived in front of Mayence. The garrison was verysmall, and upon the threat of Turenne that he would attack it on allsides the citizens sent a deputation offering to capitulate. Turennesent word of this to Enghien, who rode there at once, and received thesurrender of the town. Bingen capitulated; Landor, Mannheim, Neustadt,and several other places were taken; and thus from Strasburg to a pointnear Coblenz, the whole course of the Rhine, the Palatine, and all thecountry between the Rhine and the Moselle fell into the hands of theFrench. Enghien returned to pass the winter in Paris. The greater partof the army was recalled, and Turenne was left with but a few regimentsto hold the newly acquired territory.
"Do you wish for leave, Campbell?" Turenne asked Hector. "You had buta few days in your new lordship, and have a right to spend at least aportion of the winter there."
"I thank you, marshal, but I have no idea of leaving you. You have beengood enough to say that you will fill up the gaps in my regiment byembodying in it the remains of the regiment of Ardennes, which willbring it up to nearly its former strength. I certainly should not liketo be away while the work of fusion is being carried out. The newmen must be divided equally among the companies, and the officers soarranged that one of those now appointed shall be attached to eachcompany with two of my own. Then I must see that all so work together asto arrive at the same standard as before. I should have wished that ifpossible the captains of the Ardennes regiment should be appointed tothe new regiment that you are about to form, and that the places ofthose who fell in action should be filled from my list of lieutenants."
"Certainly. You lost five captains, did you not?"
"Yes, sir."
"If you send me the names of the five senior lieutenants, I will promotethem at once."
"Thank you, marshal; that will make all my lieutenants captains. I lostfive of them and three second lieutenants."
"Then you will require thirteen more officers." He looked at a list."There are eight belonging to the Ardennes, the rest I will drawfrom other regiments. There is little fear of their objecting to theexchange, for your corps won such a reputation that all will be glad tojoin it; I will send you back to Nancy. There are barracks there, and noother troops; and as we are not likely to be disturbed until the spring,you will have plenty of time to bring the regiment up to its formermark."
The winter, indeed, passed quietly. The officers were all greatlypleased when they heard the arrangements Hector had made, by which mostof them obtained a step in rank instead of being, as they had feared,passed over by officers belonging to the Ardennes regiment. The battleof Freiburg had shown them the great advantage that had been gained bythe steadiness and discipline of their men. They took up the work ofdrilling again with even more zeal than before, and it was not longbefore the regiment was restored to its former state of efficiency. Thereason why he had sent the regiment back from the Rhine was explained byTurenne to Hector before he started.
"The orders from court were," he said, "that I was to retain only theWeimar regiments, and I should have been obliged to send you back withthose of Enghien had I not represented to him that it might be of thegreatest importance to me to have even one good French regiment withincall. We talked it over at some length, and he finally agreed to takeupon himself the responsibility of ordering that your regiment shouldnot go beyond Nancy, upon the ground that there were very few troops inLorraine; and that peasant risings had taken place there, as in otherdepartments, owing to the terrible distress caused by heavy taxation. Hehas handed to me a paper authorizing you to take such steps as you maythink fit, as soon as you receive news of such risings, to aid the civilauthorities, if they should take place at any point within reasonablereach. The regiments stationed at Metz will naturally maintain ordernorth of Pont-a-Mousson, while you will send detachments to points southand east of Nancy. You will understand that you are not to move troopson the strength of mere rumours, but only when requests for aid are sentby local authorities."
Indeed, during the winter of 1644-45, as in that preceding it, troublesbroke out in many parts of France, and in some the risings of"the barefooted ones," as they were called, became for a time veryformidable. The rage of the unhappy peasantry was principally directed,as during the Jacquerie, against the nobles, and any chateaux weresacked and burned, all within killed, and terrible excesses committed.
In February serious outbreaks took place. A messenger arrived at Nancywith an urgent appeal for help, and Hector took four companies andmarched with all speed to the disturbed district. As soon as he reachedit he broke up his force, despatching each company in a differentdirection, his instructions being that any body of armed peasantsthey might meet were to be dispersed, but, once beaten, were not tobe pursued and cut up, and that life was not to be unnecessarilysacrificed. He himself, with one company, marched towards Poissons. Hewas within a mile of the town when a mounted man, bleeding from severalwounds, rode up.
"The chateau of Blenfoix has been attacked by two hundred peasants,"he said. "My lady and a dozen retainers are holding a tower, but theycannot long resist; even now the place may have been captured. I brokemy way through, and, hearing that there were troops in this direction, Ihave galloped at full speed to implore your aid."
"How far is it?"
"About ten miles."
"You hear, de Mieville; bring the men on with all speed. I will gallopforward with my troopers and do what I can. Do I go straight along theroad?"
"Yes, sir, nine miles hence you will see the chateau on an eminence amile away to the right."
Followed by his troopers and Paolo, Hector dashed off at full speed. Inthree quarters of an hour, at a turn of the road, they caught sight ofthe chateau. Flames were pouring through most of the windows.
"Now, lads," he said to the men, "we have got long odds to face, butthere is a lady to be rescued, and if any men can accomplish it wewill."
The chateau was partly castellated, the new portion having been builtagainst what had formerly been a small castle. On its summit a flag wasstill flying. Riding on at the top of their speed they soon saw a numberof men
swarming round a gate which opened into the older portion of thebuilding.
"Put your pistols in your belts, lads. Don't use them if you can helpit, but trust to your swords. Cut your way through that crowd. Ride inat the gate, and dismount at the door leading up to the turret. Then doyou, Macpherson and Hunter, cover our rear while we fight our way up thesteps. Follow us as we go, and if you want aid, shout and we will comedown to you."
On hearing the sound of the galloping hoofs the peasants for a momentmade a movement of retreat, but when they saw that the six horsemen werealone, they began to gather courage, and again waved their arms, whichwere mostly axes, or poles to which scythes or billhooks were attached.Riding three abreast, the horsemen burst in among them, hewing andhacking with their swords; and the crowd, unable to resist the impetusof the charge, opened a way for them, and in a moment they had passedthrough the gate. A group of men round an open door that marked theposition of the turret stairs, scattered with cries of alarm as theygalloped up. In a moment they sprang from their horses and entered thedoorway. The stairs were narrow, and but one man could mount and use hisweapons at a time. They were, however, densely packed with men.
Hector sprang up, closely followed by the others. The resistance wasfeeble, for the height above the winding steps was but six feet, andinsufficient for the use of either axes or longer weapons. Many of thepeasants, astounded at seeing the armed men mounting from below them,and wholly ignorant of their numbers, threw down their weapons and criedfor mercy. Hector contented himself with pushing past them, and runninghis sword through any who showed signs of resistance. One or two menarmed with rough pikes made a stand; these he shot, and pressed upwardsuntil within some twenty feet of the top, when the peasants, halfmaddened at finding themselves caught, rushed down in a body. "Closeup!" he shouted to his followers. These pressed close up to him, but theweight was too much for them, and they were borne by the rush backwardsdown the stairs, when the peasants darted out through the door. Hectorhad received several knife cuts on the shoulder and arms, and would havesuffered still more severely had not Paolo and Nicholl, who were nextto him, thrust their pistols over his shoulder and shot his assailants,whose bodies, borne along by the pressure from behind, protected himfrom the blows of those above them.
"Are you hurt badly, master?" Paolo exclaimed as they stood breathlessfor a moment at the bottom of the stairs.
"No, I think not; my gorget saved my neck; I have four or five cutson the shoulders, but they are mere flesh wounds. Now let us mount thestairs; the men must have made a stout defence indeed to have held outso long."
The upper part of the stairs was indeed almost blocked with dead bodies.At the top of the stairs stood two men with axes, which they lowered assoon as they saw Hector.
"You have made a brave stand," he said, "in defence of your mistress."
"You have arrived but just in time, monsieur, for we are the last twoleft, and though we might have accounted for a few more, another fiveminutes would have finished it."
Stepping out on the platform at the top of the tower, Hector saw a ladyleaning against the battlements; she was deadly pale, but her facestill bore a look of calm determination. In her hands she held a dagger;clinging to her was a girl of some fifteen years of age.
"Thank God, madam, that we have arrived in time!" Hector exclaimed.
"Just in time, monsieur; we had given up all hope, when, as if sentby God, we saw your little band appear riding towards us. Even then Ihardly ventured to hope; it seemed well nigh impossible that six menshould be able to clear a way through so many. Only two of my faithfulretainers still held the stairs, and it was but too evident that thesecould not resist much longer; when one more had fallen I had resolved toplunge this dagger into my daughter's heart and then into my own. Deathwould have been a thousand times preferable to falling into the hands ofthese wretches."
"How long have you been beleaguered, madam?"
"My men have been fighting for four hours. For upwards of three hoursthey did well, for the peasants, being unable to use their weapons,frequently drew back. Then they hit upon the device of fastening a hookto the end of a pole, and, catching this round the leg of one of thedefenders, dragged him down, and then despatched him with their knives.One by one four of my men were killed. For the last half hour the twowho remained stood back, one at each side of the doorway, so that theycould not be so entrapped, and slew those who, mounting the stairs,tried to rush past them. Both were sorely spent, and the end must havecome soon had you not appeared. Whom have I to thank for this unlookedfor deliverance?"
"I am Colonel Campbell, Baron de la Villar," Hector replied, "and havethe honour to command his majesty's regiment of Poitou."
"Your name is not French," the lady said.
"No, madam, I am a Scotchman."
"Then," the lady said, speaking in English, "I must claim you as acountryman, for I am Irish. My husband was an officer in the army of theDuke of Lorraine; he was killed in a skirmish four years ago, and ayear later I married the Baron of Blenfoix, and was again widowed at thebattle of Freiburg, where my husband, who had followed the fortunesof the Duke of Lorraine, his feudal lord, fell fighting by the sideof General Merci. This is my daughter Norah. But I see that you arewounded," she went on as Hector bowed to the young lady.
"Not seriously, madam; but I feel somewhat faint from loss of blood, andwill remove my helmet. As it turned out," he went on somewhat faintly,"it was unfortunate that I did not put on my body armour; but I had notanticipated hard fighting, and preferred to ride without it. Thanks foryour offer, lady, but my men will see to me, they are all of them prettywell accustomed to the bandaging of wounds."
He was now, indeed, almost too faint to stand, and Paolo and Nichollseated him against a battlement, and then proceeded to take off hisupper garments and examine his wounds. They were all at the back of theshoulder, as his assailants, pressed closely against him, were unableto strike him in front. The lady tore some strips off her garment andassisted in bandaging the wound, being, as she said, well accustomed tosuch matters.
"Is all quiet on the stairs?" Hector inquired of the two men whom he hadplaced on guard there.
"Save for the sound of some groans all is still, colonel," Hunterreplied. "Methinks that after being withstood for four hours by sixretainers they are not likely to make a fresh attempt against six wellarmed men.
"What are they doing, Macpherson?"
"They are gathered in front of the chateau, sir. A large number ofthings were dragged out before the flames reached them, and at presentthey seem to be quarrelling over the division of them. They have gotsome barrels of wine out of the cellars and are making free with them."
"So much the better," Hector said. "The company will be up in half anhour at latest, and will give them a lesson unless they move away beforethat; and now that they have taken to drinking they are not likely to doso."
The bandaging of his wounds being now completed, Hector was assisted tohis feet.
"I grieve, madam," he said, "that I did not arrive in time to preventthe chateau being burned."
"The loss is not mine; my husband's estates were confiscated when hecrossed into Germany with the duke, and were some ten months ago grantedto a Monsieur de Thours, a relative of the Prince of Conde; but hesent me a courteous letter to say that as he was serving with the Ducd'Enghien, I was welcome to continue to occupy the chateau until the warwas over, receiving the rents as his chatelaine, paying the retainers,and keeping up the establishment, and sending the surplus to his agentsat Nancy. This I was glad to do, for, indeed, had it not been for hiskind offer my daughter and I would scarcely have known whither to go, asmy husband expended his last crown in equipping a force for the serviceof the duke."
At this moment Macpherson exclaimed:
"I see the head of a company mounting the slope, colonel."
"Yes, and there is Captain Mieville. Ah! he has halted the men, and isriding forward alone to take in the situation. I hope that the peasantswon't cat
ch sight of him." When Mieville reached a point where he couldobtain a view of the front of the chateau he checked his horse, andafter surveying the scene for a minute rode back to the company. Amovement was at once visible.
"He is extending them on each side," Hector said. "That is good. He isgoing to inclose the peasants, and as from the slope in the ground theycannot see the troops until they are within a hundred yards, he willcatch them in a trap."
The company moved round, in fact, until they had formed almost asemicircle, then they advanced, closing in as they neared the house.When they reached the spot where they could be seen by the peasants atrumpet sounded and they ran in. The peasants, bewildered at seeing theline of soldiers closing in around them, hesitated. Some were alreadytoo drunk to rise from the ground on which they had thrown themselves,the others caught up their arms and ran together. Retreat wasimpossible, for behind them was the burning house. Suddenly a stream offire burst from the semicircle of troops. Some thirty of the insurgentsfell, the others threw down their arms and fell upon their knees cryingfor mercy. The troops were rushing forward to finish their work, whenHector shouted "Halt!"
"De Mieville," he said, as the officer rode up towards the tower, "donot shed more blood. Thirty at least have fallen in their attack on thisturret, besides those who have been killed by your fire. Take the rest,disarm them all, let the men cut some stout switches and give every mantwenty blows well laid on the back, and then let them go. Before you doso, send a dozen of them to clear the staircase and to draw some bucketsof water from the well and sluice the steps down. Paolo, do you run downand find a vessel of some sort and a goblet or horn, and bring up somewine from one of those barrels. The ladies sorely need something afterwhat they have gone through, and I myself shall be all the better forit, for the loss of blood has given me a raging thirst."
Paolo had no difficulty in carrying out the order. The rioters hadbrought out several pails for holding the wine, a score of silver cupsand other vessels lay where they had been dropped when the soldiersappeared, and the officer had placed two men on guard over them. Paolothoughtfully brought up a pail of water as well as of wine. The ladiesdrank a little wine and water, while Hector took a long draught, andmade the two retainers who had fought so stoutly, and his own men, dothe same. In half an hour the staircase was cleared and washed down,and the party then descended. The baroness had told Hector that for thepresent at any rate she would go to Nancy, and would report to the newlord's agents there what had happened, and doubtless he would send a manto take charge of the place.
"These cups," she said, "were all the personal property of my husband,and I am therefore free to take them. Many of them have been in hisfamily for a very long time. Their sale will enable me to live until Ican form some plans for the future."
The several silver vessels were collected and wrapped up ready fortransport in some of the hangings that the rioters had torn down. Anouthouse adjoining the keep was cleared out and thickly spread withrushes for the accommodation of the baroness and her daughter. Thetroops had already had a very long march, and it was out of the questionthat they could return to Nancy that night. Fires were lighted in frontof the house, and the soldiers prepared to bivouac there. Three of thetroopers were sent off with orders to the captains of the other threecompanies to concentrate the next morning at a village on the line thatwould be taken on their return march. Some men were sent down to thelittle town of Blenfoix to purchase bread and meat, together withtorches and other necessaries. At nightfall Hector posted sentinels,as he considered it quite possible that the peasants would raise thecountry for some distance round and try to take vengeance for the lossthey had suffered. When Paolo took some supper round to the two ladies,he returned with a message that they hoped Colonel Campbell would jointhem in their meal.
"See that the sentries are on the alert, Mieville," he said as he got upfrom the fire round which he and the three officers were sitting; "youmust remember that these poor fellows are desperate. Of course you andI know that they can do themselves no good by attacking castles andburning chateaux, but were we in their place--famished, despairing, andignorant--we should doubtless do the same. And although, with men aswell disciplined as ours, there would be little chance of the peasantsoverpowering us, they may trust in their numbers, and would believe thatif they could destroy us, the whole country might well rise and jointhem. Should there be any sign of trouble, call me instantly."
Two sentries had been placed at the door of the outhouse, and as heentered Hector said, "Keep good watch, men, and if you hear any noisethat might betoken the approach of a body of men, warn me at once."
"I heard what you said to the sentries, Colonel Campbell; do you thinkthat there is any danger?"
"No danger, I trust, madam, for I am convinced that we could beat offany number. Still, I do think that there is a possibility of our beingattacked. The peasants know that we are but a company. They may send toall the villages round and call on them to come and revenge thosewho have been slain. The people of the hills are strong fellows--woodcutters, charcoal burners, and shepherds--and there can be no doubt thatthey suffer terribly from the enormous taxation. I have seen it on myown estate in Poitou, and can make every allowance for them. In manycases the amounts they are adjudged to pay are absolutely greater thantheir whole income. They are forced to live upon bread made of bran andsawdust, to eat acorns and beechnuts; they are gaunt with hunger; theysee their children dying before their eyes. They know not how theirsufferings arise, they only know that they suffer, and in their despairthey turn like hungry wolves against all who are better off thanthemselves."
"And your people, are they suffering as much as these, monsieur?"
"Not quite so much, perhaps, but they are suffering. I have spent but afortnight on my estates, of which I have only been master for a year."
"And could you do nothing for them, monsieur?" the girl asked.
"I did what I could, mademoiselle. I remitted half their rents, whichwas in fact but a small thing, seeing that I knew positively they couldnot have paid them. Still it was no doubt some alleviation to know thatthe arrears were not being piled up against them. As to the other half,I told my intendant not to press any whom he thought could not pay,and that if he drew enough to pay his own salary and the wages of theretainers I should be content--for my pay as colonel is ample for my ownwants."
"You are very young to be a colonel, Monsieur Campbell," the baronesssaid.
"Very young; but I have had singularly good fortune, and have been happyenough to please both Marshal Turenne and the Duc d'Enghien."
"And you have served under them both?" she said in surprise.
"I have had that good fortune. I was with Turenne for nearly four yearsin Italy, and fought under Enghien at Rocroi, and I may say under bothof them at Freiburg."
"What is the name of your regiment, monsieur?"
"The Poitou regiment."
"Indeed!" she exclaimed. "Of course, we have heard all the particularsof the battle; and it was said that General Merci would have beatenMonsieur Turenne back had it not been for the Poitou regiment, commandedby a Scottish colonel, and said to be the finest under the commandof the French generals. They say it stood for three hours against theattacks of the whole Bavarian army."
"We were in a strong position," Hector said quietly, "at the mouth ofa defile, so that no more than our own numbers could attack us at once.However, I am proud of the conduct of my men; none could have foughtmore steadily than they did."
"My husband was killed in the battle against Enghien's army on the hill.I am glad that it was not by your regiment, monsieur."
"I am glad too, madam."
"These wars are terrible, and we of Lorraine--lying between France andGermany--suffer whichever wins. Fortunately we lie at a distancefrom the roads that the armies follow, and therefore have escaped thedevastation caused all along the line of march. Nevertheless we havethe sadness of knowing that in the field neighbours must fight againstneighbours, and kin
smen against kinsmen, for since the duke fled many ofour nobles, seeing that the country has now become part of France,have joined her, while others, like my husband, followed the duke intoGermany. However, as an Irishwoman it matters little to me now which isthe victor."
"Do you think of returning home, madam?"
"As to that, I have not yet made up my mind. The land there is asdistracted as is France by civil war. It is sixteen years since I leftIreland with my husband, a few months after our marriage. I was anorphan, and have no near relations to whom I can go, therefore itmatters little to me whether I live in France or Ireland, so that Ican see some way of earning my own living and that of my daughter. Witheconomy, the sale of the silver would suffice to keep us for three orfour years, and long before that I hope that I shall be able in some wayto earn my living."
Hector sat silent for two or three minutes. "It seems to me, madam,"he said at last, "that it would be better that you should not spend theproceeds of your silver before looking for a post. I can offer you oneat once, if you will accept it."
"You, monsieur!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, madam. It is bad for the vassals and tenants of a noble--eventhough a newly made one, and on an estate of moderate dimensions--whentheir lord is absent, and there is none to look after them save anintendant, whose duty it is to collect as much rent as he is able. Suchis the position of my tenants. I am a soldier, and must perforce beabsent. What I need greatly is someone who will fill my place in thisrespect. I have an old friend who is captain of the garrison, and seesto all things in the household; I have an intendant, I believe a worthyyoung man, who collects my rents and looks to the feeding and needs ofthe servants and garrison; but I need someone who would interest herselfactively in the condition of my tenants, who would be a friend to themin sickness, would give aid from my purse to those who really need it,would send food to the starving, and aid my intendant by advising himas to who are worthy of relief and who are suffering from their ownidleness or thriftlessness--who will, in short, act as I would have mywife act had I one.
"Now, madame la baronne if you will honour me by making my home yoursso long as I am away at the wars, which may last, for aught I know, foryears yet, you will be conferring a great favour upon me. You will haveyour own suite of apartments, where your meals will be served to you.You will have horses to ride. You will relieve my intendant of thenecessity of seeing that the servants perform their duties, and give himmore time to devote himself to the business of the estate, and will infact act as chatelaine, save only in matters connected with the garrisonin the defence of the castle."
"Your offer is kind in the extreme, Colonel Campbell, but I could notaccept it," she said. "You are only inventing such an office in order togive a home to me and Norah."
"I can assure you, madam, that the thought is not a new one to me--Ihave often wished that there was a lady in the castle. One who would seeafter the wives and families of the vassals; and I should feel myselfunder a real obligation to you if you would fill the place. Yousee, madam, it would cost me nothing, for food and drink there is inabundance. I have two splendid horses, given me by the Duc d'Enghien,standing idle in their stalls. I shall be happy in knowing that mytenants would be well looked after, and shall be glad indeed that youand your daughter, my countrywomen, should, for the present at any rate,have a home."
The tears were streaming down the lady's face.
"Accept, mother," the girl said, putting her hand on her shoulder."Surely God sent this gentleman to our rescue when we were very neardeath. Why should we not accept this fresh kindness at his hands?"
Her mother looked up. "My daughter has chosen for me, Colonel Campbell.I accept your offer with the deepest thankfulness. Were I to refuse now,the time might come when I should be reduced to such straits that formy daughter's sake I should bitterly regret that I had refused yourgenerous offer; therefore I accept it, and thank you from the bottom ofmy heart."
"I do not wish you to see it in that light," he said with a smile. "Atbest it is but an arrangement for our mutual advantage, and I, on mypart, thank you and mademoiselle most heartily for falling in with mywishes."