he French.
Well, it's the Lord's doing and marvellous in our eyes. Hullo,
who's he? [They look towards the road.] A fine hale old gentleman,
isn't he? What business has a man of that sort here?

[Enter, on the highway near, the DUKE OF RICHMOND in plain clothes,
on horseback, accompanied by two youths, his sons. They draw
rein on an eminence, and gaze towards the battlefields.]

RICHMOND [to son]

Everything looks as bad as possible just now. I wonder where your
brother is? However, we can't go any nearer.... Yes, the bat-
horses are already being moved off, and there are more and more
fugitives. A ghastly finish to your mother's ball, by Gad if it
isn't!

[They turn their horses towards Brussels. Enter, meeting them,
MR. LEGH, a Wessex gentleman, also come out to view the battle.]

LEGH

Can you tell me, sir, how the battle is going?

RICHMOND

Badly, badly, I fear, sir. There will be a retreat soon, seemingly.

LEGH

Indeed! Yes, a crowd of fugitives are coming over the hill even now.
What will these poor women do?

RICHMOND

God knows! They will be ridden over, I suppose. Though it is
extraordinary how they do contrive to escape destruction while
hanging so close to the rear of an action! They are moving,
however. Well, we will move too.

[Exeunt DUKE OF RICHMOND, sons, and MR. LEGH. The point of view
shifts.]

SCENE VI

THE SAME. THE FRENCH POSITION

[NEY'S charge of cavalry against the opposite upland has been
three times renewed without success. He collects the scattered
squadrons to renew it a fourth time. The glittering host again
ascends the confronting slopes over the bodies of those previously
left there, and amid horses wandering about without riders, or
crying as they lie with entrails trailing or limbs broken.]

NAPOLEON [starting up]

A horrible dream has gripped me--horrible!
I saw before me Lannes--just as he looked
That day at Aspern: mutilated, bleeding!
"What--blood again?" he said to me. "Still blood?"

[He further arouses himself, takes snuff vehemently, and looks
through his glass.]

What time is it?--Ah, these assaults of Ney's!
They are a blunder; they've been enterprised
An hour too early!... There Lheritier goes
Onward with his division next Milhaud;
Now Kellermann must follow up with his.
So one mistake