His bare neck and hands were delicately
fair, the former firm and muscular, the latter slender and tapering, like
a woman's. He was reading a gazette, or some printed paper, when we
entered; and although there was a tolerable clatter of muskets, sabres,
and spurs, he never once lifted his eye in the direction where we stood.
Opposite this personage, on a low chair, with his legs crossed, and eyes
fixed on the ashes that were dropping from the stove, with his brown cloak
hanging from his shoulders, sat a short stout personage, a man about
thirty years of age, with fair flaxen hair, a florid complexion, a very
fair skin, and massive German features. The expression of his face, so
far as such a countenance could be said to have any characteristic
expression, was that of fixed sorrow.
But before I could make any other observation, the aide--de--camp
approached with a good spice of fear and trembling, as I could see.
"Colonel-----to wait on your Highness."
"Ah!"--said the officer to whom he spoke,--"ah, colonel, what do you here?
Has the Emperor advanced again?"
"No," said the officer, "he has not advanced; but the rear--guard were cut
off by the Prussians, and the light, with the grenadiers, are now in
Cuxhaven."
"Well," replied the general, "but how come you here?"
"Why, Marshal, we were detached to seize a depot of provisions in a
neighbouring village, and had made preparations to carry them off, when we
were attacked through a gap in the dike, by some armed boats from an
English squadron, and hearing a distant firing at the very moment, which I
concluded to be the Prussian advance, I conceived all chance of rejoining
the main army at an end, and therefore I shoved off in the grain--boats,
and here I am.
Pages:
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41