“Yes.”

“Well, then, you must have done something marked, or you could never have got the rank.  Why, he has half the young nobles of France in his train —­ he has not made them all colonels, I suppose?”

“No, I suppose not; but we started early the next morning, and therefore cannot say what promotions were made.”

“Still they made yours, Campbell.  When did they do that?”

“Just after the fight was over.”

“Umph! and what for?”

“Well, I luckily discovered that the Spaniards had set an ambush.”

“Come, come, let us hear all about it.  Tell us the whole story of the fight.”

Hector gave all the details.

“Well, it certainly seems to have been an extraordinary battle.  Everyone appears to have been beaten in turn.”

“Not Enghien’s command, sir.”

“Well, no; but when cavalry are repulsed three times with a loss, as you say, of nearly half their numbers, it is pretty well equivalent to a beating; and if Enghien had not been able to bring up the artillery and reserves, I take it that the third charge would have been the last.  The ambush that you discovered was, I suppose, that of the thousand musketeers Enghien charged at the beginning of the fight.”

Hector nodded his assent.

“Well, it is as well they were found out and surprised before the other part of the business began, or there is no saying how the battle would have ended.  We heard you had got your company.  Turenne himself was good enough, when he came here to confer with Richelieu that summer, to call at the barracks and to give me an account of the service you had rendered.  We all agreed that the rank was well earned, and I have no doubt that this new step has been just as honourably gained.  And how do you think matters are going?”

“I know nothing about it, sir, beyond the fact that it was not a secret that Enghien and Gassion were both in favour of advancing at once into Flanders, and capturing the Spanish strong places before they could gather another army together.”

“No doubt that would be the best way, but I should doubt very much if Enghien will be allowed to carry out his plans.  You see, the king’s will, appointing a council to act in concert with Conde, Orleans, and the queen, has been set at nought.  The queen is absolute regent, and Mazarin is her minister —­ just as Richelieu was minister of Louis.  Of course this victory will put everyone in the best of temper, and make the way easy for Mazarin just at first, but a defeat would set all the cliques at work against him.