mistake not,
left Vienna on the ninth, reached Innspruck the eleventh, stayed there
till the evening of the thirteenth, and only reached here some hours
ago. The Prime Minister, consequently, was unaware that, on the tenth,
General Durando was recalled by the Pope; that on the evening of the
same day Pepe received a similar order from the King of Naples; that
the Tuscan levies and the Polish legion have been remanded; and that
Piedmont stands alone in the contest, with a disorganized army and
divided counsels. These," said he, pointing to the letters before
him,--"these are copies of the documents I refer to, you will see
from these that the right flank of the Piedmontese army is open and
unprotected; that, except the banditti of Rome and Tuscany, there are no
troops between this and Ferrara; and if the reinforcements that are now
halted in the Tyrol be but hurried down, a great and decisive blow may
be dealt at once."

"Bey'm Blitzen! you ought to have been a general of brigade, priest!"
cried the old Field-Marshal, as he clasped his hand in both his own,
and pressed it with delight. "These are the noblest words I have heard
to-day. Gentlemen," said he, rising, "there is little more for a council
to do. You will return at once to your several brigades. Schrann's eight
battalions of infantry, with two of Feld-Jagers, to hold themselves in
readiness to march to-morrow; the Reuse Hussars to form escort to the
light artillery on the Vicenza road; all the other cavalry to take up
position to the right, towards Peschiera."

"This means a renewal of hostilities, then?" said the Commissioner.

"It means that I will win back the provinces of my Emperor. Let him
dispose of them after as he pleases." And so saying, he left the room,
followed by the other officers.

CHAPTER XXVIII. PLOTS, POLITICS, AND PRIESTCRAFT.

It would conduce but little to the business of our story were we to
follow the changeful fortunes of the war, and trace the current of
events which marked that important campaign. The struggle itself is
already well known; the secret history of the contest has yet to be
written. We have hinted at some of the machinations which provoked the
conflict; we have shown the deep game by which Democracy was urged on
to its own destruction; and, by the triumph of Absolutism, the return
of the Church to her ancient rule provided and secured; we have
vaguely shadowed out the dark wiles by which freedom and anarchy wer