Malcolm looked astonished.

“In an idle moment,” the duke said, “having an interest in nativities and seeing that you were born between two years, I asked my astrologer to work out the calculations.  He tells me that it was fated that you should perform deeds of notable bravery while still young.  It seemed the horoscope of a soldier rather than of a craftsman, and so I told the sage; but he will have it that he has made no mistake.”

Malcolm hesitated for a moment; the blind faith which the otherwise intelligent and capable general placed in the science of astrology was well known to the world.  Should he deny that he had accomplished any feats, the duke, believing implicitly the statement which his astrologer had made him, would suspect that he was not what he seemed; he therefore replied modestly, “I have done no deeds worthy relating to your excellency, but I once swam across a swollen river to direct some travellers who would otherwise have perished, and my neighbours were good enough to say that none in those parts save myself would have attempted such a feat.”

“Ah!” the duke exclaimed in a tone of satisfaction, “as usual the stars have spoken correctly.  Doubtless as great courage is required to swim a river in flood as to charge into the ranks of the enemy.”

So saying Wallenstein left the room, filled with a desire to attach to himself the young man whom his adviser had assured him was in some way connected with his destiny.  Wallenstein a day or two later offered Malcolm to take him into his permanent service, saying that he was frequently plagued by the stoppages of his clocks, and desired to have a craftsman capable of attending to them on his establishment.  He even told the young man that he might expect promotion altogether beyond his present station.

Malcolm could not refuse so flattering an offer, and was at once installed as a member of Wallenstein’s household, declining however the use of the apartment which the steward offered him, saying that he had a sick brother lodging with him in the town.  Mingling with the soldiers in the evenings Malcolm learned that there were rumours that negotiations for peace were going on with Saxony and Sweden.  This was indeed the case, but Wallenstein was negotiating on his own behalf, and not on that of the emperor.  So far but little had come of these negotiations, for Oxenstiern had the strongest doubts of Wallenstein’s sincerity, and believed that he was only trying to gain time and delay operations by pretended proposals for peace.  He could not believe that the great Imperialist general, the right hand of the emperor, had any real intention of turning against his master.  Towards the end of January there was some excitement in Pilsen owing to the arrival there of all the generals of the Imperialist army save only Gallas, Coloredo, and Altringer.