al," says Frank,
seizing hold of the little dingy paper that soldiers love to read so; and,
scrambling over from our bench, he went to where the general sat, who knew
him, and had seen many a time at his table his laughing, handsome face,
which everybody loved who saw. The generals in their great perukes made
way for him. He handed the paper over General Dohna's buff coat to our
general on the opposite side.

He came hobbling back, and blushing at his feat: "I thought he'd like it,
Harry," the young fellow whispered. "Didn't I like to read my name after
Ramillies, in the _London Gazette_?--Viscount Castlewood serving a
volunteer--I say, what's yonder?"

Mr. Webb, reading the _Gazette_, looked very strange--slapped it down on
the table--then sprung up in his place, and began,--"Will your highness
please to ----"

His grace the Duke of Marlborough here jumped up too--"There's some
mistake, my dear General Webb."

"Your grace had better rectify it," says Mr. Webb, holding out the letter;
but he was five off his grace the prince duke, who, besides, was higher
than the general (being seated with the Prince of Savoy, the Electoral
Prince of Hanover, and the envoys of Prussia and Denmark, under a
baldaquin), and Webb could not reach him, tall as he was.

"Stay," says he, with a smile, as if catching at some idea, and then, with
a perfect courtesy, drawing his sword, he ran the _Gazette_ through with
the point, and said, "Permit me to hand it to your grace."

The duke looked very black. "Take it," says he, to his master of the
horse, who was waiting behind him.

The lieutenant-general made a very low bow, and retired and finished his
glass. The _Gazette_ in which Mr. Cardonnel, the duke's secretary, gave an
account of the victory of Wynendael, mentioned Mr. Webb's name, but gave
the sole praise and conduct of the action to the duke's favourite, Mr.
Cadogan.

There was no little talk and excitement occasioned by this strange
behaviour of General Webb, who had almost drawn a sword upon the
commander-in-chief; but the general, after the first outbreak of his
anger, mastered it outwardly altogether; and, by his subsequent behaviour,
had the satisfaction of even more angering the commander-in-chief, than he
could have done by any public exhibition of resentment.

On returning to his quarters, and consulting with his chief adviser, Mr.
Esmond, who was now entirely in the general's confidence, and treated by
him as a friend