d gradually the allies won ground, until,
on the eve of the grand assault, Marshal Boufflers surrendered the
town, and retired with the survivors of the defenders into the
citadel, which held out for another month, and then also
surrendered. In this memorable siege, the greatest--with the
exception of that of Sebastopol--that has ever taken place in
history, the allies lost 3632 men killed, 8322 wounded, in all
11,954; and over 7000 from sickness. Of the garrison, originally
15,000 strong, and reinforced by the 1800 horsemen who made their
way through the allied camp, but 4500 remained alive at the time of
the final capitulation.

Marshall Boufflers only surrendered the citadel on the express
order of Louis the 14th not to throw away any more lives of the
brave men under him. At the time of the surrender the last flask of
powder was exhausted, and the garrison had long been living on
horseflesh.

After Lille had fallen, Marlborough, by a feint of going into
winter quarters, threw the French generals off their guard; and
then by a rapid dash through their lines fell upon Ghent and
Bruges, and recaptured those cities before Vendome had time to
collect and bring up his army to save them.

Then ended one of the most remarkable campaigns in the annals of
our own or any other history.

Chapter 24: Adele.

"My dear, dear lad," the Marquis of Pignerolles said, as he made
his way with Rupert back out of the throng in the captured outwork;
"what miracle is this? I heard that you had died at Loches."

"A mistake, as you see," Rupert laughed. "But I shall tell you all
presently. First, how is mademoiselle?"

"Well, I trust," the marquis said; "but I have not heard of her for
eighteen months. I have been a prisoner in the Bastille, and was
only let out two months since, together with some other officers,
in order to take part in the defence of Lille. Even then I should
not have been allowed to volunteer, had it not been that the Duc de
Carolan, Adele's persecutor, was killed; and his Majesty's plans
having been thus necessarily upset, he was for the time being less
anxious to know what had become of Adele."

"In that case you have to thank me for your deliverance," Rupert
said; "for it was I who killed monsieur le duc, and never in my
life did I strike a blow with a heartier goodwill."

"You!" the marquis exclaimed in astonishment; "but I might have
guessed it. I inquired about his death when I reached Lille, and
w