hich gave him a certain air
of youthfulness. On the whole, he bore a strong resemblance to King
Oscar the First on the old sixpenny-pieces.

And as the captain rose and began his dissertation, Cousin Hans decided
in his own mind that he had every reason to be satisfied with his future
father-in-law's exterior.

The captain took up a position in a corner of the ramparts, a few paces
from the bench, whence he could point all around him with a stick.
Cousin Hans followed what he said, closely, and took all possible
trouble to ingratiate himself with his future father-in-law.

"We will suppose, then, that I am standing here at the farm of
Belle-Alliance, where the Emperor has his headquarters; and to the
north-fourteen miles from Waterloo--we have Brussels, that is to say,
just about at the corner of the gymnastic-school.

"The road there along the rampart is the highway leading to Brussels,
and here," the captain rushed over the plain of Waterloo, "here in the
grass we have the Forest of Soignies. On the highway to Brussels, and
in front of the forest, the English are stationed--you must imagine the
northern part of the battle-field somewhat higher than it is here. On
Wellington's left wing, that is to say, to the eastward--here in the
grass--we have the Chateau of Hougoumont; that must be marked," said the
captain, looking about him.

The serviceable Cousin Hans at once found a stick, which was fixed in
the ground at this important point.

"Excellent!" cried the captain, who saw that he had found an interested
and imaginative listener. "You see it's from this side that we have to
expect the Prussians."

Cousin Hans noticed that the captain picked up a stone and placed it in
the grass with an air of mystery.

"Here at Hougoumont," the old man continued, "the battle began. It was
Jerome who made the first attack. He took the wood; but the chateau held
out, garrisoned by Wellington's best troops.

"In the mean time Napoleon, here at Belle-Alliance, was on the point of
giving Marshal Ney orders to commence the main attack upon Wellington's
centre, when he observed a column of troops approaching from the east,
behind the bench, over there by tree."

Cousin Hans looked round, and began to feel uneasy: could Bluecher be
here already?

"Blue--Blue--" he murmured, tentatively.

"It was Buelow," the captain fortunately went on, "who approached with
thirty thousand Prussians. Napoleon made his arrangements hastily to