ionate. They knew not, when they next met, whether
it would be in peace, under the roof of one or the other, or in
mortal strife on the field of battle. Gaston did not forget to take
Bold with him, the dog trotting by the side of our horses until he was
tired, and then finding a perch, usually behind Gaston's saddle. Bold
was in the greatest favor with his master, after having won the good
opinion of Francezka.

Our rendezvous with Count Saxe was at the second stage from Brussels.
There we found him awaiting us, with Beauvais and his other servants.
He was good enough to tell me that he had needed me for one purpose or
another every hour that I had been away, and that I should never get
out of pistol shot of him again. We continued toward Paris that same
day, and reached it after three days of easy travel. And then began a
repetition of that dreary life of the two years past--dreary to me,
that is. But no matter how dreary, I remembered the stars in their
courses, "everlasting, yet unresting," and bore the hours as well as I
could.

War with Austria was imminent at every moment, although it did not
actually break out until the spring of 1733. This prospect prevented
Count Saxe from making any further attempt on Courland. He was sought
after in Paris and at Versailles as no man ever was before or
since--at court, everywhere. There was no Adrienne Lecouvreur to fix
his wandering heart upon herself. As for Madame de Bouillon, he hated
the sight of her. Monsieur Voltaire was daily rising in glory. The
king did not like him, and for all Monsieur Voltaire's efforts to get
on at court, he never could contrive it. I often wondered he should
not see that men cast in his mold have nothing to hope or fear from
kings; they enjoy a sovereignty of their own on which no mere
hereditary monarch may infringe. Count Saxe knew this, for whatever
might be his relations with Monsieur Voltaire, he did not make the
ridiculous blunder of undervaluing that notary's son. There was,
however, peace between them after they had stood together at Adrienne
Lecouvreur's death-bed. I think her gentle and loyal spirit breathed
peace even when she was no more.

Count Saxe gave much attention to his regiment of Spar, which was a
model. Of his lieutenants, none was better than Gaston Cheverny. The
personal affection which Count Saxe always had for Gaston Cheverny was
extreme, and that was the best guaranty of Gaston's military fortunes;
for Count Saxe w