le. Then she said:

"Babache, you are the best and truest of souls, and are my chief
dependence. But I think it would be an abuse of Count Saxe's
indulgence to keep you here. I can not, as Mademoiselle Capello, go in
search of Gaston Cheverny. I shall have to assemble my friends and
neighbors and announce to them my marriage. Then I shall provide
myself with a stout traveling chaise and travel to Hueningen, and
search and search until I find my best beloved."

I had often remarked upon the natural good sense which was the basis
of Francezka's character, and saw at once the justness of her course.

"So," she said, bravely recovering her cheerfulness, "you will remain
here to rest, and you shall leave when you like and I will follow you
within the week."

I explained, however, that if I were at liberty to return at once I
should go back to Brussels that very night and start for the Rhine
country next morning. To this she agreed, when she saw I had reason on
my side, but before I went she made me sup, and had brought out for me
a bottle of the true lachrymae christi, of which her father had laid in
a small store at a great price. By midnight I had said farewell to
Francezka and was again in the saddle.

As I rode through the blackness and solitariness of the night I could
but reflect upon the extraordinary courage and constancy of women when
really put to the test. Francezka was the last woman in the world to
be weak in the face of calamity. She had in her the making of ten good
soldiers, including a general.

My master was at Philipsburg with his command when I again saw him. He
was assisting the Duke of Berwick in the siege of that important
place. I did not need to ask him if there was any news of Gaston
Cheverny; I saw at the first glance there was none.

The siege went on steadily. We had in our army too many "red heels"
and _tourlourous_. The red heels were those luxurious and worthless
young gentlemen sent us in chaises from the court, who had not one
single idea of a soldier in their empty heads, and who were fit for
nothing but to lead the forlorn hope, waving their swords frantically,
and bawling "Follow me!" The _tourlourous_ were the raw levies, of
whom we had more than was quite comfortable. To balance this, Prince
Eugene had in his army eighty royal princes, which in itself was
enough to account for the strange paralysis of this active old
general.

But a dreadful misfortune lay in store for us. On