that those terrible fellows,
Marlborough and Prince Eugene, are invincible."

"They are good generals, Baron. Beyond troubles with the
commanders of the forces of their allies, they are able to carry
out their own plans. The Dukes of Vendome and Berwick are also
able commanders, but they were hampered by the presence of the
Duke of Burgundy, who, on several occasions, overruled their
opinions and ruined their plans. It is to him, alone, that the
defeat at Oudenarde is due. The French soldiers fought as well as
ever, and it was the position in which they were placed, and not
the superior fighting powers of the enemy, that caused their
defeat."

"But how is it," the baron asked, "that with, as I hear, one
hundred and ten thousand men, Vendome does not raise the siege of
Lille? It seems incredible that, with so great a force, he should
remain inactive while the enemy are carrying out their works for
the siege."

"That I cannot tell you, sir. We heard all sorts of rumours at
Amiens, but it seems that Marlborough had taken up a strong
position, and entrenched himself there with seventy thousand men,
while Eugene is conducting the siege operations."

"I don't understand it," the baron said, irritably. "There must be
more ways of marching to Lille than one. If one road is barred,
why not advance by another? The Duke of Burgundy is not with the
army now, so the blame cannot be put on him."

"No, sir; but Berwick's army is still, as I hear, under his
independent command, and the duke, excellent soldier as he is, is
not one to be easily led. If his opinion differs from that of
Vendome, he would assuredly maintain it; and as his manner is not
conciliatory, and his opinions are very strongly expressed, it may
well be that there are, as was rumoured at Amiens, constant
dissensions between him and Vendome."

"Well, it seems to me very strange, Monsieur Kennedy, after having
during the last reign defeated the best infantry of Spain, humbled
Austria, subdued Bavaria, crushed the enemy in Italy, and shown
ourselves to be the best soldiers in Europe; that we should now
suffer defeat after defeat, by an army containing men of half a
score of nationalities, though led by the greatest general that
England has ever produced."

"And, Baron, with English troops under him who have, for hundreds
of years, shown themselves invincible!"

"Yes, yes," the baron said, hastily. "We know all about Crecy,
Poitiers, and Agincourt; and how we