has, so it is whispered, no small trouble in keeping the peace between Vendome and Burgundy.  The failure, too, of the expedition to Scotland must have greatly disappointed him, and I have no doubt he expected to be put at the head of any French army sent over to place James upon the throne.  However, he may congratulate himself now that he was not with it, for no honour and no gain has been earned by any concerned in it.”

“That certainly is so,” Desmond agreed.  “It was a mismanaged affair altogether.  To begin with, twenty thousand men should have been sent instead of six thousand; and in the next place, the fleet should have assembled at Brest or Bordeaux, for in that case, although the news of its assembling would assuredly have reached England, it would not have been known whether it was intended that the landing should be made in Ireland, Scotland, or on the English coast, while by gathering at Dunkirk no doubt was left as to the destination.  This was proved by the fact that, when the English fleet watching the port was driven off by a gale, and an opportunity was thus given for a start, instead of coming back again, as we had hoped, only to find that we had left, it sailed straight for the north, making absolutely certain that we were bound for Edinburgh.”

“Well, we must hope,” O’Sullivan said, “that next time the force will, as you say, be fully twenty thousand men, will include the Irish Brigade, will be led by Berwick, and will land in Ireland.”

At this moment an orderly entered.

“The duke requires your attendance, Lieutenant Kennedy.”

Desmond at once went to the duke’s apartments.

“You will start at once for Lille, Mr. Kennedy, and will report yourself to Marshal Vendome.  I have arranged with him that one of my aides-de-camp shall accompany the force that is about to advance, and shall keep me informed of what is being done.  I have selected you because I know you to be active and shrewd.  The marshal is too much occupied to send me such full reports as I should wish, and I look to you not only to give me facts, but to convey to me your impressions of what you see passing around you.  Do not fear to speak plainly.  Your communications will be strictly private, and your views will be thus of far more use to me than the official expressions of the marshal and his staff.

“You will, of course, take your servant with you, and I have told off three troopers to accompany you, for the purpose of bringing your reports to me.  There is no probability of a general engagement at present, and until we obtain some idea of Marlborough’s plans, no extensive operations will be undertaken.”

From the manner in which he spoke, Desmond had no doubt that Berwick himself was in favour of taking the initiative without delay, but that he had been overruled.  It was indeed of importance to the French that, before advancing, they should secure possession of the towns of west Flanders, so that the great roads would all be open to them.