surprise she saw her little son standing,
with a finger uplifted to urge silence, listening eagerly.

'What is it, darling?' she asked.

'Father!' he replied.

Again Madame Ladoinski's spirits rose, but they fell quickly when she
remembered that the Polish Lancers had quitted Smolensk before she and
her boy arrived there. It was madness, therefore, to imagine that her
wounded husband could be with Marshal Victor's army, and she dismissed
the hope from her mind.

Days of terrible suffering for Napoleon's army followed, but eventually
Studzianka, on the left bank of the Beresina, was reached, and the
soldiers hoped that once in Poland their trials would diminish. Madame
Ladoinski, her spirits reviving at the prospect of soon being in her
husband's native land, lay listening to the noise of the men busily
engaged in building the bridges over which the French army was to pass.
Suddenly there was a tremendous uproar; shouts of joy, cries of
triumph. Looking out Madame Ladoinski saw at once the cause of the
excitement--the enemy who had been encamped on the opposite bank of the
river was in full retreat. The fierce battle which she had dreaded, in
case her boy might be injured, would not be fought. Falling on her
knees in the wagon, she thanked God for averting the danger she feared.

Now that the Russians were gone, the cavalry swam their horses across
the river, and took up a position that would protect the crossing of
the foot soldiers. The bridges were completed at last, and quickly the
ragged regiments hurried over them. The baggage-wagons were to be left
until the last, and for hours Madame Ladoinski sat watching regiment
after regiment hurry across. Napoleon, stern and silent, passed close
to her, and a mighty shout of 'Vive L'Empereur' burst from his
trusting, long-suffering troops, when he gained the opposite bank.

Soon after Napoleon had crossed, Prince Eugene came along, and seeing
Madame Ladoinski he rode over to her, and told her cheerfully that she
would soon be among her husband's friends, and that her trials would
then be at an end. Then, turning to the drivers, he commanded them not
to forget the order he had given concerning their behaviour and care of
the lady entrusted to them.

When at last more than half the troops had crossed, the news arrived
that the Russians had suddenly turned about and were marching back to
the position they had vacated, while another strong body of the enemy
was