of the Russian magazines in that direction, so that the
campaign came to naught. Ferdinand, with the aid of his English,
defeated Broglio and Soubise at Villingshausen; Soubise remaining
inactive during the battle, as Broglio had done at Minden.

At the beginning of 1762 a happy event for the king took place. The
Empress of Russia died; and Peter, a great admirer of Frederick,
came to the throne. The Prussian king at once released all the
Russian prisoners, and sent them back; and Peter returned the
compliment by sending home the Prussian prisoners and, six weeks
after his accession, issued a declaration that there ought to be
peace with the King of Prussia, and that the czar was resolved that
the war should be ended. He at once gave up East Prussia and other
conquests, and recalled the Russian army. He not only did this, but
he ordered his General Czernichef to march and join the king.

The news caused absolute dismay in Austria, and hastened the Swedes
to conclude a peace with Frederick. They had throughout the war
done little, but the peace set free the force that had been
watching them; and which had regularly, every year, driven them
back as fast as they endeavoured to invade Prussia on that side.

In July, however, the murder of Peter threw all into confusion
again; but Catherine had no desire to renew the war, and it was
evident that this was approaching its end. She therefore recalled
her army, which had already joined that of the king. England and
France, too, were negotiating terms of peace; and it was clear that
Austria, single handed, could not hope to win back Silesia.

The king gained several small but important successes, and
recaptured the important fortress of Schweidnitz. Then came long
negotiations and, on the following February, a general peace was
signed by all the Powers; Prussia retaining her frontiers, as at
the beginning of the war.

From this time Fergus Drummond's life passed uneventfully. Every
year he went to his old home with his wife, and as time went on
brought his children to Scotland; and every winter he spent a
fortnight at Berlin. When his second son reached the age of twelve,
he sent him to school in England, and there prepared him to succeed
to the Scottish estate. This he did not do for many years, entering
the British army and winning the rank of colonel in the Peninsular
war; and it was not until some years after the battle of Waterloo
that, at the death of his father, he