"I'll swear he shall have
no rivalry on my side. By Jove I I 'd rather face a charge of Hulans
than speak to her."

"If thou wert a Marshal of France, Claude, thou wouldst think
differently."

"If I were a Marshal of France," repeated he, with energy, "I'd rather
marry Minette, the vivandiere of ours."

"And no bad choice either," broke in a large! heavy-looking officer.
"There is but one objection to such an arrangement."

"And that, if I might ask--"

"Simple enough. She would n't have you."

The young man endeavored to join in the laugh this speech excited among
the rest, though it was evident he felt ill at ease from the ridicule.

"A thousand pardons, my dear Burke," said Duchesne, at this moment, as
he slipped his arm through mine; "but I thought I should have been in
need of your services a few minutes ago."

"Ah! how?"

"Move a little aside, and I 'll tell you. I wished to ask mademoiselle
to dance, and approached her for the purpose. She was standing with
a number of people, all strangers to me, at the doorway
yonder,--Dobretski, that Russian prince, the only man I knew amongst
them. A very chilling 'Engaged, sir,' was the answer of the lady to my
first request. The same reply met my second and third; when the Russian,
as if desirous to increase the awkwardness of my position, interposed
with, 'And the fourth set mademoiselle dances with me.'

"'In that case,' said I, 'I may fairly claim the fifth.'

"'On what grounds, sir?' said she, with a look of easy impertinence.

"'The Emperor's orders, Mademoiselle,' said I, proudly.

"'Indeed, sir! May I ask how and when?'

"'Austerlitz, December 2. The order of four o'clock, dated from Reygern,
says, "The Imperial Guard will follow closely on the track of the
Russians." (Signed) "Napoleon."'

"'In that case, sir,' said she, 'I cannot dispute his Majesty's orders.
I shall dance the fifth with you.'"

"And the Russian,--what said he?"

"_Ma foi!_ I paid no attention to him; for as mademoiselle moved off
with her partner, I strolled away in search of you."

If I was amused at this recital of the chevalier, I could not avoid
feeling piqued at the greater success he had than myself; for still the
chilling reception I had met with was rankling in my mind.

"Let us move away from this quarter," said Duchesne. "Here we have got
ourselves among a knot of old campaigners, with their stupid stories
of Cairo and Acre, Alexandria and the Adige. By Jove! if a