ch he had to submit,
although he well knew that the marshal had done few things he ought to
have done, with nothing against the enemy that he could avoid, and that
all his successes had been forced upon him."

Sir Robert himself had urgent need of change and rest. The
responsibility upon his shoulders had been tremendous. The Emperor had
relied upon him entirely for information as to the true state of things
in the army, and the Russian generals regarding him as specially the
Emperor's representative, had poured their complaints into his ears.

Had they but received the slightest encouragement from him they would
have led their divisions against the French in spite of the orders of
the marshal, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he persuaded
them to restrain their exasperated troops, and to submit to carry out
the disastrous policy, which entailed as much loss and suffering upon
the Russian soldiers as upon the French.

It was the end of January when Sir Robert Wilson and Frank reached St.
Petersburg, and, putting up in apartments assigned to them in the
palace, rested for a few days.

One bright morning Frank strolled down to the Nobles' Club, of which he
and the general had been made honorary members. It was his first visit
to St. Petersburg. His fur coat was partly open and showed his British
uniform. He was looking about with interest at the scene in the Nevsky
Prospect when he noticed a gentleman in a handsomely appointed sledge
looking fixedly at him. As the uniform attracted general attention he
thought little of this, but after going a short distance the sledge
turned and passed him at a slow rate of speed. The gentleman again gazed
fixedly at him, then stopped the coachman, and leaped from the sledge to
the pavement.

"Frank!" he exclaimed, "is it you, or am I dreaming?"

Frank stepped back a pace in astonishment. It was the voice rather than
the face that he recognized.

"Julian!" burst from his lips, "my brother, can it be really you?"

Julian held out both his hands, and they stood for a moment in silence,
gazing into each other's face. Julian was the first to break the
silence.

"Jump in here, Frank," he said, leading the way to the sledge. "They
must all think that we have gone mad, and we shall have a crowd round us
in a minute."

Still completely bewildered, Frank followed his brother.

"Drive out into the country," Julian said to the coachman as he took his
seat. "This is little