unt Saxe said not one word further to discourage her, but, on the
contrary, set himself seriously to work to help her. He offered to get
letters from many royal and noble persons and officers of rank in both
armies. Francezka, in thanking him, said, with tears in her eyes:

"I realize at this moment that I am, for the present, strangely alone
in the world. I know not whom to advise with, except you, Count Saxe,
and my good Babache. I know, however, one thing which is necessary to
me, and that is, Babache. When you are not actually fighting, will you
not lend me Babache, to help me search until I find my husband?"

"Madame," replied Count Saxe, "I do not lend him to you--I give him to
you as long as you need him. He is the most valuable possession I have
on earth; therefore you may measure my regard for you."

They both rose--so did I--and Francezka turned her cheek to Count
Saxe, who kissed her reverently. Let those sneer at Count Saxe who
will, about his Mademoiselle Verieres, his Duchesse de Bouillon and
the rest. I say no one respected a woman of honor more than Count
Saxe. He was bewitched by Francezka's beauty, tears and devotion, and
he began to tell her of so many officers, supposed to be lost in war,
who had returned, sometimes after long years, to their friends, that
he fixed the idea in Francezka's head, Gaston _must_ return. I said to
him afterward, privately, that Francezka's determined belief that
Gaston would be found would be unalterable after this conversation.
Count Saxe looked a little disturbed, but striking his forehead, cried
out:

"Babache, I swear I knew not half I was saying; I saw only distressed
beauty, faithful and devoted, and I would have perjured my soul to
comfort her!"

It was concluded, at this conference, that as soon as Philipsburg
fell, I was to accompany Francezka and Madame Chambellan to Prince
Eugene's headquarters, and if necessary to Vienna, that the plan of
looking for Gaston Cheverny in the Austrian prisons might be carried
out.

We returned to our stations before Philipsburg, but I had several
opportunities of seeing Francezka in the next few weeks. She posted
large rewards for news of Gaston Cheverny, but not one single person
appeared to claim them.

Philipsburg fell on the eighteenth of July. As soon as this was
accomplished the campaign became perfunctory. In August, everything
had simmered down, and actually the Crown Prince of Prussia, with some
of the other too