With Frederick the Great: A Story of the Seven Years' War, Page 2

  Chapter 1: King and Marshal.

  It was early in 1756 that a Scottish trader, from Edinburgh,entered the port of Stettin. Among the few passengers was a tallyoung Scotch lad, Fergus Drummond by name. Though scarcely sixteen,he stood five feet ten in height; and it was evident, from hisbroad shoulders and sinewy appearance, that his strength was infull proportion to his height. His father had fallen at Culloden,ten years before. The glens had been harried by Cumberland'ssoldiers, and the estates confiscated. His mother had fled with himto the hills; and had lived there, for some years, in the cottageof a faithful clansman, whose wife had been her nurse. Fortunately,they were sufficiently well off to be able to maintain their guestsin comfort; and indeed the presents of game, fish, and othermatters, frequently sent in by other members of the clan, hadenabled her to feel that her maintenance was no great burden on herfaithful friends.

  For some years, she devoted herself to her son's education; andthen, through the influence of friends at court, she obtained thegrant of a small portion of her late husband's estates; and wasable to live in comfort, in a position more suited to her formerrank.

  Fergus' life had been passed almost entirely in the open air.Accompanied by one or two companions, sons of the clansmen, hewould start soon after daybreak and not return until sunset, whenthey would often bring back a deer from the forests, or a heavycreel of salmon or trout from the streams. His mother encouragedhim in these excursions, and also in the practice of arms. Sheconfined her lessons to the evening, and even after she settled onher recovered farm of Kilgowrie, and obtained the services of atutor for him, she arranged that he should still be permitted topass the greater part of the day according to his own devices.

  She herself was a cousin of the two brothers Keith; the one ofwhom, then Lord Marischal, had proclaimed the Old Pretender king atEdinburgh; and both of whom had attained very high rank abroad, theyounger Keith having served with great distinction in the Spanishand Russian armies, and had then taken service under Frederick theGreat, from whom he had received the rank of field marshal, and wasthe king's greatest counsellor and friend. His brother had joinedhim there, and stood equally high in the king's favour. Althoughboth were devoted Jacobites, and had risked all, at the firstrising in favour of the Old Pretender, neither had taken part inthat of Charles Edward, seeing that it was doomed to failure. AfterCulloden, James Keith, the field marshal, had written to hiscousin, Mrs. Drummond, as follows:

  "Dear Cousin,

  "I have heard with grief from Alexander Grahame, who has come overhere to escape the troubles, of the grievous loss that has befallenyou. He tells me that, when in hiding among the mountains, helearned that you had, with your boy, taken refuge with Ian theforester, whom I well remember when I was last staying with yourgood husband, Sir John. He also said that your estates had beenconfiscated, but that he was sure you would be well cared for byyour clansmen. Grahame told me that he stayed with you for a fewhours, while he was flying from Cumberland's bloodhounds; and thatyou told him you intended to remain there, and to devote yourselfto the boy's education, until better times came.

  "I doubt not that ere long, when the hot blood that has beenstirred up by this rising has cooled down somewhat, milder measureswill be used, and some mercy be shown; but it may be long, for theHanoverian has been badly frightened, and the Whigs throughout thecountry greatly scared, and this for the second time. I am no loverof the usurper, but I cannot agree with all that has been saidabout the severity of the punishment that has been dealt out. Ihave been fighting all over Europe, and I know of no country wherea heavy reckoning would not have been made, after so serious aninsurrection. Men who take up arms against a king know that theyare staking their lives; but after vengeance comes pardon, and thedesire to heal wounds, and I trust that you will get some portionof your estate again.

  "It is early yet to think of what you are going to make of the boy,but I am sure you will not want to see him fighting in theHanoverian uniform. So, if he has a taste for adventure let him,when the time comes, make his way out to me; or if I should beunder the sod by that time, let him go to my brother. There will,methinks, be no difficulty in finding out where we are, for thereare so many Scotch abroad that news of us must often come home.However, from time to time I will write to you. Do not expect tohear too often, for I spend far more time in the saddle than at mytable, and my fingers are more accustomed to grasp a sword than apen. However, be sure that wherever I may be, I shall be glad tosee your son, and to do my best for him.

  "See that he is not brought up at your apron string, but is welltrained in all exercises; for we Scots have gained a great name forstrength and muscle, and I would not that one of my kin should fallshort of the mark."

  Maggie Drummond had been much pleased with her kinsman's letter.There were few Scotchmen who stood higher in the regard of theircountrymen, and the two Keiths had also a European reputation. Herhusband, and many other fiery spirits, had expressed surprise andeven indignation that the brothers, who had taken so prominent apart in the first rising, should not have hastened to join PrinceCharlie; but the more thoughtful men felt it was a bad omen thatthey did not do so. It was certainly not from any want ofadventurous spirit, or of courage, for wherever adventures were tobe obtained, wherever blows were most plentiful, James Keith andhis brother were certain to be in the midst of them.

  But Maggie Drummond knew the reason for their holding aloof; forshe had, shortly before the coming over of Prince Charlie, receiveda short note from the field marshal:

  "They say that Prince Charles Edward is meditating a mad scheme ofcrossing to Scotland, and raising his standard there. If so, dowhat you can to prevent your husband from joining him. We made buta poor hand of it, last time; and the chances of success are vastlysmaller now. Then it was but a comparatively short time since theStuarts had lost the throne of England, and there were greatnumbers who wished them back. Now the Hanoverian is very much morefirmly seated on the throne. The present man has a considerablearmy, and the troops have had experience of war on the Continent,and have shown themselves rare soldiers. Were not my brother LordMarischal of Scotland, and my name somewhat widely known, I shouldnot hang back from the adventure, however desperate; but ourexample might lead many who might otherwise stand aloof to take uparms, which would bring, I think, sure destruction upon them.Therefore we shall restrain our own inclinations, and shall watchwhat I feel sure will be a terrible tragedy, from a distance;striking perhaps somewhat heavier blows than usual upon the headsof Turks, Moors, Frenchmen, and others, to make up for our notbeing able to use our swords where our inclinations would lead us.

  "The King of France will assuredly give no efficient aid to theStuarts. He has all along used them as puppets, by whose means hecan, when he chooses, annoy or coerce England. But I have no beliefthat he will render any useful aid, either now or hereafter.

  "Use then, cousin, all your influence to keep Drummond at home.Knowing him as I do, I have no great hope that it will avail; for Iknow that he is Jacobite to the backbone, and that, if the Princelands, he will be one of the first to join him."

  Maggie had not carried out Keith's injunction. She had indeed toldher husband, when she received the letter, that Keith believed theenterprise to be so hopeless a one that he should not join in it.But she was as ardent in the cause of the Stuarts as was herhusband, and said no single word to deter him when, an hour afterhe heard the news of the prince's landing, he mounted and rode offto meet him, and to assure him that he would bring every man of hisfollowing to the spot where his adherents were to assemble. Fromtime to time his widow had continued to write to Keith; though,owing to his being continually engaged on campaigns against theTurks and Tartars, he received but two or three of her letters, solong as he remained in the service of Russia. When, however, hedispleased the Empress Elizabeth, and at once left the service andentered that of Prussia, her letters again reached him.

  The connection between France and Scotland had always been close,and French was a language
familiar to most of the upper class; andsince the civil troubles began, such numbers of Scottish gentlemenwere forced either to shelter in France, or to take service in theFrench or other foreign armies, that a knowledge of the languagebecame almost a matter of necessity. In one of his short lettersKeith had told her that, of all things, it was necessary that thelad should speak French with perfect fluency, and master as muchGerman as possible. And it was to these points that his educationhad been almost entirely directed.

  As to French there was no difficulty and, when she recovered aportion of the estate, Maggie Drummond was lucky in hearing of aHanoverian trooper who, having been wounded and left behind inGlasgow, his term of service having expired, had on his recoverymarried the daughter of the woman who had nursed him. He wasearning a somewhat precarious living by giving lessons in the useof the rapier, and in teaching German; and gladly accepted theoffer to move out to Kilgowrie, where he was established in acottage close to the house, where his wife aided in the housework.He became a companion of Fergus in his walks and rambles and, beingan honest and pleasant fellow, the lad took to him; and after a fewmonths their conversation, at first somewhat disjointed, becameeasy and animated. He learned, too, much from him as to the use ofhis sword. The Scotch clansmen used their claymores chiefly forstriking; but under Rudolph's tuition the lad came to be as aptwith the point as he had before been with the edge, and fullyrecognized the great advantages of the former. By the time hereached the age of sixteen, his skill with the weapon was fullyrecognized by the young clansmen who, on occasions of festivegatherings, sometimes came up to try their skill with the younglaird.

  From Rudolph, too, he came to know a great deal of the affairs ofEurope, as to which he had hitherto been profoundly ignorant. Helearned how, by the capture of the province of Silesia from theEmpress of Austria, the King of Prussia had, from a minorprincipality, raised his country to a considerable power, and wasregarded with hostility and jealousy by all his neighbours.

  "But it is only a small territory now, Rudolph," Fergus said.

  "'Tis small, Master Fergus, but the position is a very strong one.Silesia cannot well be invaded, save by an army forcing its waythrough very formidable defiles; while on the other hand, thePrussian forces can suddenly pour out into Saxony or Hanover.Prussia has perhaps the best-drilled army in Europe, and though itsnumbers are small in proportion to those which Austria can put inthe field, they are a compact force; while the Austrian army ismade up of many peoples, and could not be gathered with the speedwith which Frederick could place his force in the field.

  "The king, too, is himself, above all things, a soldier. He hasgood generals, and his troops are devoted to him, though thediscipline is terribly strict. It is a pity that he and the King ofEngland are not good friends. They are natural allies, bothcountries being Protestant; and to say the truth, we in Hanovershould be well pleased to see them make common cause together, andshould feel much more comfortable with Prussia as our friend thanas a possible enemy.

  "However, 'tis not likely that, at present, Prussia will turn herhand against us. I hear, by letters from home, that it is said thatthe Empress of Russia, as well as the Empress of Austria, both hateFrederick; the latter because he has stolen Silesia from her; theformer because he has openly said things about her such as a womannever forgives. Saxony and Poland are jealous of him, and Francenone too well disposed. So at present the King of Prussia is liketo leave his neighbours alone; for he may need to draw his sword,at any time, in self defence."

  It was but a few days after this that Maggie Drummond received thisshort letter from her cousin, Marshal James Keith:

  "My dear Cousin,

  "By your letter, received a few days since, I learned that Fergusis now nearly sixteen years old; and is, you say, as well grown andstrong as many lads two or three years older. Therefore it is aswell that you should send him off to me, at once. There are signsin the air that we shall shortly have stirring times, and thesooner he is here the better. I would send money for his outfit;but as your letter tells me that you have, by your economies, saveda sum ample for this purpose, I abstain from doing so. Let him comestraight to Berlin, and inquire for me at the palace. I have asuite of apartments there; and he could not have a better time forentering upon military service; nor a better master than the king,who loves his Scotchmen, and under whom he is like to findopportunity to distinguish himself."

  A week later, Fergus started. It needed an heroic effort, on thepart of his mother, to let him go from her; but she had, all along,recognized that it was for the best that he should leave her. Thathe should grow up as a petty laird, where his ancestors had beenthe owners of wide estates, and were powerful chiefs with a largefollowing of clansmen and retainers, was not to be thought of.Scotland offered few openings, especially to those belonging toJacobite families; and it was therefore deemed the natural course,for a young man of spirit, to seek his fortune abroad and, from thedays of the Union, there was scarcely a foreign army that did notcontain a considerable contingent of Scottish soldiers andofficers. They formed nearly a third of the army of GustavusAdolphus, and the service of the Protestant princes of Germany hadalways been popular among them.

  Then, her own cousin being a marshal in the Prussian army, itseemed to Mrs. Drummond almost a matter of course, when the timecame, that Fergus should go to him; and she had, for many years,devoted herself to preparing the lad for that service. Nevertheless,now that the time had come, she felt the parting no less sorely; butshe bore up well, and the sudden notice kept her fully occupied withpreparations, till the hour came for his departure.

  Two of the men rode with him as far as Leith, and saw him on boardship. Rudolph had volunteered to accompany him as servant, but hismother had said to the lad:

  "It would be better not, Fergus. Of course you will have a soldierservant, there, and there might be difficulties in having acivilian with you."

  It was, however, arranged that Rudolph should become a member ofthe household. Being a handy fellow, a fair carpenter, and ready toturn his hand to anything, there would be no difficulty in makinghim useful about the farm.

  Fergus had learnt, from him, the price at which he ought to be ableto buy a useful horse; and his first step, after landing at Stettinand taking up his quarters at an inn, was to inquire the address ofa horse dealer. The latter found, somewhat to his surprise, thatthe young Scot was a fair judge of a horse, and a close hand atdriving a bargain; and when he left, the lad had the satisfactionof knowing that he was the possessor of a serviceable animal, andone which, by its looks, would do him no discredit.

  Three days later he rode into Berlin. He dismounted at a quiet inn,changed his travelling dress for the new one that he carried in hisvalise, and then, after inquiring for the palace, made his waythere.

  He was struck by the number of soldiers in the streets, and withthe neatness, and indeed almost stiffness, of their uniform andbearing. Each man walked as if on parade, and the eye of thestrictest martinet could not have detected a speck of dust on theirequipment, or an ill-adjusted strap or buckle.

  "I hope they do not brace and tie up their officers in that style,"Fergus said to himself.

  He himself had always been accustomed to a loose and easy attire,suitable for mountain work; and the high cravats and stiff collars,powdered heads and pigtails, and tight-fitting garments, seemed tohim the acme of discomfort. It was not long, however, before hecame upon a group of officers, and saw that the military etiquettewas no less strict, in their case, than in that of the soldiers,save that their collars were less high, and their stocks more easy.Their walk, too, was somewhat less automatic and machine-like, butthey were certainly in strong contrast to the British officers hehad seen, on the occasions of his one or two visits to Perth.

  On reaching the palace, and saying that he wished to see MarshalKeith, he was conducted by a soldier to his apartment; and on theformer taking in the youth's name, he was at once admitted. Themarshal rose from his chair, came forward, and shook him heartilyb
y the hand.

  "So you are Fergus Drummond," he said, "the son of my cousinMaggie! Truly she lost no time in sending you off, after she got myletter. I was afraid she might be long before she could bringherself to part from you."

  "She had made up her mind to it so long, sir, that she was preparedfor it; and indeed, I think that she did her best to hurry me offas soon as possible, not only because your letter was somewhaturgent, but because it gave her less time to think."

  "That was right and sensible, lad, as indeed Maggie always was,from a child.

  "She did not speak too strongly about you, for indeed I should havetaken you for fully two years older than you are. You have lost notime in growing, lad, and if you lose no more in climbing, you willnot be long before you are well up the tree.

  "Now, sit you down, and let me first hear all about your mother,and how she fares."

  "In the first place, sir, she charged me to give you her love andaffection, and to thank you for your good remembrance of her, andfor writing to her so often, when you must have had so many othermatters on your mind."

  "I was right glad when I heard that they had given her backKilgowrie. It is but a corner of your father's lands; but Iremember the old house well, going over there once, when I wasstaying with your grandfather, to see his mother, who was thenliving there. How much land goes with it?"

  "About a thousand acres, but the greater part is moor and mountain.Still, the land suffices for her to live on, seeing that she keepsup no show, and lives as quietly as if she had never known anythingbetter."

  "Aye, she was ever of a contented spirit. I mind her, when she wasa tiny child; if no one would play with her, she would sit by thehour talking with her dolls, till someone could spare time to perchher on his shoulder, and take her out."

  Marshal Keith was a tall man, with a face thoughtful in repose, buthaving a pleasant smile, and an eye that lit up with quiet humourwhen he spoke. He enjoyed the king's confidence to the fullestextent, and was regarded by him not only as a general in whosesagacity and skill he could entirely rely, but as one on whoseopinion he could trust upon all political questions. He was hisfavourite companion when, as happened not unfrequently, he donned adisguise and went about the town, listening to the talk of thecitizens and learning their opinions upon public affairs.

  "I have spoken to the king about your coming, lad, and told himthat you were a kinsman of mine.

  "'Indeed, marshal,' the king said, 'from what I can see, it appearsto me that all Scotchmen are more or less kin to each other.'

  "'It is so to some extent, your majesty. We Scotchmen prideourselves on genealogy, and know every marriage that has takenplace, for ages past, between the members of our family and thoseof others; and claim as kin, even though very distant, all thosewho have any of our blood running in their veins. But in this casethe kinship is close, the lad's mother being a first cousin ofmine. His father was killed at Culloden, and I promised her, assoon as the news came to me, that when he had grown up strong andhearty he should join me, wherever I might be, and should have achance of making his fortune by his sword.'

  "'You say that he speaks both French and German well? It is morethan I can do,' the king said with a laugh. 'German born and Germanking as I am, I get on but badly when I try my native tongue, forfrom a child I have spoken nothing but French. Still, it is wellthat he should know the language. In my case it matters but little,seeing that all my court and all my generals speak French. But onewho has to give orders to soldiers should be understood by them.

  "'Well, what do you want me to do for the lad?'

  "'I propose to make him one of my own aides-de-camp,' I replied,'and therefore I care not so much to what regiment he is appointed;though I own that I would far rather see him in the uniform of theguards, than any other.'

  "'You are modest, marshal; but I observe that it is a common faultamong your countrymen. Well, which shall it be--infantry orcavalry?'

  "'Cavalry, since you are good enough to give me the choice, sire.The uniform looks better, for an aide-de-camp, than that of theinfantry.'

  "'Very well, then, you may consider him gazetted as a cornet, in mythird regiment of Guards. You have no more kinsmen coming atpresent, Keith?'

  "'No, sire; not at present.'

  "'If many more come, I shall form them into a separate regiment.'

  "'Your majesty might do worse,' I said.

  "The king nodded. 'I wish I had half a dozen Scotch regiments; aye,a score or two. They were the cream of the army of GustavusAdolphus, and if matters turn out as I fear they will, it would bea welcome reinforcement.'

  "I will give you a note presently," continued the marshal, "to aman who makes my uniforms, so that I may present you to the king,as soon as you are enrolled. You must remember that your favour, orotherwise, with him will depend very largely upon the fit of youruniform, and the manner in which you carry yourself. There isnothing so unpardonable, in his eyes, as a slovenly and ill-fittingdress. Everything must be correct, to a nicety, under allcircumstances. Even during hot campaigns, you must turn out in themorning as if you came from a band box.

  "I will get Colonel Grunow, who commands your regiment, to tell offan old trooper, one who is thoroughly up to his work, as yourservant. I doubt not that he may be even able to find you aScotchman, for there are many in the ranks--gentlemen who came overafter Culloden, and hundreds of brave fellows who escapedCumberland's harryings by taking ship and coming over here, where,as they supposed, they would fight under a Protestant king."

  "But the king is a Protestant, is he not, sir?"

  "He is nominally a Protestant, Fergus. Absolutely, his majesty hasso many things to see about that he does not trouble himselfgreatly about religion. I should say that he was a disciple ofVoltaire, until Voltaire came here; when, upon acquaintance, he sawthrough the vanity of the little Frenchman, and has been much lessenthusiastic about him since.

  "By the way, how did you come here?"

  "We heard of a ship sailing for Stettin, and that hurried mydeparture by some days. I made a good voyage there, and on landingbought a horse and rode here."

  "Well, I am afraid your horse won't do to carry one of myaides-de-camp, so you had best dispose of it, for what it willfetch. I will mount you myself. His majesty was pleased to give metwo horses, the other day, and my stable is therefore over full.

  "Now, Fergus, we will drink a goblet of wine to your newappointment, and success to your career."

  "From what you said in your letter to my mother, sir, you think itlikely that we shall see service, before long?"

  "Aye, lad, and desperate service, too. We have--but mind, this mustgo no further--sure news that Russia, Austria, France, and Saxonyhave formed a secret league against Prussia, and that they intendto crush us first, and then partition the kingdom among themselves.The Empress of Austria has shamelessly denied that any such treatyexists, but tomorrow morning a messenger will start, with a demandfrom the king that the treaty shall be publicly acknowledged andthen broken off, or that he will at once proclaim war. If we saynine days for the journey there, nine days to return, and threedays waiting for the answer, you see that in three weeks from thepresent we may be on the move, for our only chance depends uponstriking a heavy blow before they are ready. We have not wasted ourtime. The king has already made an alliance with England."

  "But England has no troops, or scarcely any," Fergus said.

  "No, lad, but she has what is of quite as much importance inwar--namely, money, and she can grant us a large subsidy. Theking's interest in the matter is almost as great as ours. He is aHanoverian more than an Englishman, and you may be sure that, ifPrussia were to be crushed, the allies would make but a single biteof Hanover. You see, this will be a war of life and death to us,and the fighting will be hard and long."

  "But what grievance has France against the king?"

  "His majesty is open spoken, and no respecter of persons; and awoman may forgive an injury, but never a scornful gibe. It is thisthat has brough
t both France and Russia on him. Madame Pompadour,who is all powerful, hates Frederick for having made disrespectfulremarks concerning her. The Empress of Russia detests him, for thesame reason. She of Austria has a better cause, for she has neverforgiven the loss of Silesia; and it is the enmity of these women,as much as the desire to partition Prussia, that is about to plungeEurope into a war to the full as terrible as that of the thirtyyears."

  Keith now rung a bell, and a soldier entered.

  "Tell Lieutenant Lindsay that I wish to speak to him."

  A minute later an officer entered the room, and saluted stiffly.

  "Lindsay, this is a young cousin of mine, Fergus Drummond. The kinghas appointed him to a cornetcy in the 3rd Royal Dragoon Guards,but he is going to be one of my aides-de-camp. Now that things arebeginning to move, you and Gordon will need help.

  "Take him first to Tautz. I have written a note to the man, tellinghim that he must hurry everything on. There is still a spare roomon your corridor, is there not? Get your man to see his thingsbestowed there. I shall get his appointment this evening, I expect,but it will be a day or two before he will be able to get a soldierfrom his regiment. He has a horse to sell, and various othermatters to see to. At any rate, look after him, till tomorrow. 'Tismy hour to go to the king."

  Lindsay was a young man of two or three and twenty. He had a merry,joyous face, a fine figure, and a good carriage; but until he andFergus were beyond the limits of the palace, he walked by the lad'sside with scarce a word. When once past the entrance, however, hegave a sigh of relief.

  "Now, Drummond," he said, "we will shake hands, and begin to makeeach other's acquaintance. First, I am Nigel Lindsay, very much atyour service. On duty I am another person altogether, scarcelyrecognizable even by myself--a sort of wooden machine, ready, whena button is touched, to bring my heels smartly together, and myhand to the salute. There is something in the air that stiffensone's backbone, and freezes one from the tip of one's toes to theend of one's pigtail. When one is with the marshal alone, onethaws; for there is no better fellow living, and he chats to us asif we were on a mountain side in Scotland, instead of inFrederick's palace. But one is always being interrupted; either ageneral, or a colonel, or possibly the king himself, comes in.

  "For the time, one becomes a military statue; and even when theygo, it is difficult to take up the talk as it was left. Oh, it iswearisome work, and heartily glad I shall be, when the trumpetsblow and we march out of Berlin. However, we are beginning to bepretty busy. I have been on horseback, twelve hours a day on anaverage, for the past week. Gordon started yesterday for Magdeburg,and Macgregor has been two days absent, but I don't know where.Everyone is busy, from the king himself--who is always busy aboutsomething--to the youngest drummer. Nobody outside a small circleknows what it is all about. Apparently we are in a state ofprofound peace, without a cloud in the sky, and yet the militarypreparations are going on actively, everywhere.

  "Convoys of provisions are being sent to the frontier fortresses.Troops are in movement from the Northern Provinces. Drilling isgoing on--I was going to say night and day, for it is pretty nearlythat--and no one can make out what it is all about.

  "There is one thing--no one asks questions. His majesty thinks forhis subjects, and as he certainly is the cleverest man in hisdominions, everyone is well content that it should be so.

  "And now, about yourself. I am running on and talking nonsense,when I have all sorts of questions to ask you. But that is alwaysthe way with me. I am like a bottle of champagne, corked down whileI am in the palace, and directly I get away the cork flies out byitself, and for a minute or two it is all froth and emptiness.

  "Now, when did you arrive, how did you arrive, what is the lastnews from Scotland, which of the branches of the Drummonds do youbelong to, and how near of kin are you to the marshal? Oh, by theway, I ought to know the last without asking; as you are aDrummond, and a relation of Keith, you can be no other than the sonof the Drummond of Tarbet, who married Margaret Ogilvie, who was afirst cousin of Keith's."

  "That is right," Fergus said. "My father fell at Culloden, youknow. As to all your other questions, they are answered easilyenough. I know very little of the news in Scotland, for my motherlived a very secluded life at Kilgowrie, and little news came to usfrom without. I came from Leith to Stettin, and there I bought ahorse and rode on here."

  His companion laughed.

  "And how about yourself? I suppose you know nothing of this beastlylanguage?"

  "Yes; I can speak it pretty fluently, and of course know French."

  "I congratulate you, though how you learnt it, up in the hills, Iknow not. I did not know a word of it, when I came out two yearsago; and it is always on my mind, for of course I have a masterwho, when I am not otherwise engaged, comes to me for an hour aday, and well nigh maddens me with his crack-jaw words; but I don'tseem to make much progress. If I am sent with an order, and theofficer to whom I take it does not understand French, I am floored.Of course I hand the order, if it is a written one, to him. If itis not, but just some verbal message, asking him to call on themarshal at such and such a time, I generally make a horrible messof it. He gets in a rage with me, because he cannot understand me.I get in a rage with him, for his dulness; and were it not that hegenerally manages to find some other officer, who does understandFrench, the chances are very strongly against Keith's message beingattended to.

  "First of all, I will take you to our quarters. That is the house."

  "Why, I thought you lodged in the palace?"

  "Heaven forbid! Macgregor has a room in the chief's suite of apartments.He is senior aide-de-camp, and if there is any message to be sent late,he takes it; but that is not often the case. Gordon lodges here withme. The house is a sort of branch establishment to the palace. MalcolmMenzies and Horace Farquhar, two junior aides of the king, are in thesame corridor with us. Of course we make up a party by ourselves. Thenthere are ten or twelve German officers--some of them aides-de-campof the Princes Maurice and Henry, the Prince of Bevern and GeneralSchwerin--besides a score or so of palace officials.

  "Fortunately the Scotch corridor, as we call it, has a separateentrance, so we can go in or out without disturbing anyone. It is agood thing, for in fact we and the Prussians do not get on verywell together. They have a sort of jealousy of us; which is, Isuppose, natural enough. Foreigners are never favourites, andGeorge's Hanoverian officers are not greatly loved in London. Iexpect a campaign will do good, that way. They will see, at anyrate, that we don't take our pay for nothing, and are ready to do afull share and more of fighting; while we shall find that thesestiff pipe-clayed figures are brave fellows, and good comrades,when they get a little of the starch washed out of them.

  "Now, this is my room, and I see my man has got dinner ready."