University of Virginia Library

19. CHAPTER XIX.

Old M.S.

In an hour's rapid but silent marching, we
gained the outskirts of the forest. The moon was
setting, but her light, faint and uncertain as she
waded through the fleeting clouds, came and went
in fitful gleams over the dense woodlands and the
grassy glades. There was no sound or stir, all
seemed peaceful and at rest.

It was my object fully to occupy the woods in
the rear of the nunnery, before giving any alarm,
in order to cut off the possibility of flight to, or
succour from, the army of Lorraine. This done,
I had resolved to invest the building on every side,
and to obtain admission peaceably, if possible, but
if not, by any means. With this view I halted

two regiments of Switzers, armed with their heavy
halberts, but without firearms in front, and wheeling
around the right side of the building with all
my cavalry, arquebusiers, and pikemen, entered
the skirts of the wood beyond the low walls of the
orchard and gardens, which I have before mentioned.
Just at the angle of the building on this
side, I posted Lydford with four troops of cuirassiers
their petronels ready and their matches
lighted, charging them to let no one enter or pass
out of the building.

Scarcely had I turned the corner, when I heard
the heavy tread of disciplined men; and in the uncertain
light beheld a long line of infantry filing
into the enclosures of the convent from the rear.
Five minutes sooner, and I should have cut them
off, but it was now too late. Two regiments, at the
least, had entered the gardens, and even now occupied
the building itself, while several columns were
marching steadily from the left flank of the duke's
army through the woods, so as to form a line of
communication between this important position
and his main army. There was but one course
left: to isolate the convent and its defenders, and,
occupying the forest, to drive back the Frondeurs,
and to maintain the position against all odds, until
I could reduce the convent.

In a solid mass of horse and foot I charged, reserving
the fire of my muskeeters till I could see
the features of each file-leader of the enemy. Then,
platoon after platoon, we gave it to them in the
most tremendous running volley I ever heard.
We swept them before us like a torrent—back—
back to the thick woodlands, a full half mile in the
rear of the gardens. There they rallied for a moment
under cover of the trees, fighting well, and
keeping up a hot fire en voltigeur; but by a charge
of pikes, I forced them through this thicker growth
of coppice—in which I immediately set my foragers
to construct a rude breastwork of felled trees—
and, bringing up half a dozen field-guns, was at
once master of a position which I was well aware
the duke could not carry without concentrating all
his powers against it; while I was well aware, by the
heavy cannonading from the front, that he could not
do this. Having secured the position with a strong
reserve, I directed D'Erlach to press steadily on,
driving in the enemy's advance till he should reach
the skirts of the wood covering the duke's left
flank, and thence to cannonade him with as many
of the light falconets as he could force through the
woodland—this I had already found far more
practicable than I expected, as the soil was sound,
and the taillis, except at intervals, very young and

scattered in its growth—but not to advance a yard
till I should join him.

I was now confident of success. Retreat for the
occupants of the nunnery was impossible. In
front I had stationed a party as large as that which
held it, with flank parties on either side; and in
the rear, between the defenders and their comrades,
was a force of full five thousand veterans
under an excellent and trusty leader.

My first step was to clear the gardens and
orchards. In this I succeeded, after a short but
desperate conflict, under a cross-fire from the walls
of the main building; the enemy, at last, throwing
down their arms and surrendering at discretion.

Knowing that escape in this direction was hopeless,
and anticipating a desperate effort on the part
of De Chateaufort—who, I doubted not, was in the
convent—to cut his way through my Switzers, I had
already drawn off all my men save a small picket,
which I left as a post of observation, and was
hurrying to the front, when a rapid fire of musketry,
mingled with loud shouts, announced to me
that my expectations were realized. I clapped spurs
to my horse, dashed forward over wall and fosse at
a rate which quickly threw out my infantry, summoned
the cavalry I had left at the angle to follow
me all save Lydford, whom I ordered to the picket

in the rear; and reached the scene of action in
time to see the sallying party handsomely beaten
back within the walls.

With the reinforcement I had brought up, we
were strong enough to storm the building; but I
was unwilling to resort to so desperate a measure,
well knowing the horrors that will ensue where
females are the inmates of a place taken by an
assault of fierce and lawless soldiery.

Something, however, was to be done, and that
right speedily; for it was necessary that I should
move forward, to act on the flank of Lorraine. In
this emergency, I fastened a white neckcloth to the
staff of a soldier's pike, and, advancing to the portal,
sounded a parley, and summoned the garrison;
assuring them of their hopeless situation, reminding
them of the fate denounced by the laws of war
against the defenders of an untenable position,
and offering honourable terms to all. The answer
was the shot of a musket, loaded with three bullets;
one of which grazed my right cheek, cutting
it to the bone, a second glancing innocuous from
my head-piece, and the third entering the brain of
my war-horse—the prince's gift. I fell heavily to
the ground, with, and partly under, the slaughtered
beast; and, as I fell, I heard the infuriate yell of
my Swiss soldiery, as they hurled themselves at

once against the gate and walls. I rose to my feet
in an instant, and dashed forward sword in hand;
but, ere I could make myself heard or understood,
the strong gate was shattered to atoms by the axes
and halberds of my men. A desperate fight succeeded,
blade to blade and hand to hand; but their
superior energy, and the fury excited by what they
believed to be the murder of their general, gave a
vast superiority to my Switzers. Foot by foot
they forced their way in, and every step was
planted on the body of fallen friend or foeman.
The courtyard was crowded almost to suffocation,
but the pressure was fast diminished by the unsparing
sword. Not a shot was fired after the first
rush; for my men had no firearms, and the Frondeurs
were prevented by the throng from using
them. The main building had fortunately remained
unoccupied, and at its doors, as fast as I
gained them, I set strong watches of men, on
whose fidelity and firmness I could depend, for the
protection of the helpless females within. While
the hellish strife was going on—which I was well
aware could only end in the destruction of every
life of the defenders, who by their own madness
had drawn their fate upon themselves—I caught a
glimpse of a kerchief, waved from a window at the
farther end of the quadrangle. I heard a wild
and well-remembered shriek. Madly, desperately
I pushed forward, dealing around me blind and
sweeping blows, and cutting my path through
friends and foes alike; but, ere I reached the place,
I saw a lower casement violently thrown open
from within, and the fiend De Chateaufort leaped
out, bearing HER in his arms! He made for the
postern-gate, reached it, and, passing forth, locked
it deliberately behind him; thus cutting off every
chance of safety from his miserable followers, who
had, I conclude, been prevented from availing
themselves before of this escape, by the idea that
the building was no less closely invested in the
rear than it was in front.

A moment—a single moment—after him I gained
the spot; with a desperate leap I darted at the
wall, not, perhaps, exceeding eight feet in height;
I caught the cope-stone with my hands, and, by
main force of my arms, drew myself to the summit,
threw myself over without marking the depth
of the plunge, and, fortunately alighting on my
feet, came off unhurt. He had mounted a horse
—whether his own or a chance charger I knew
not—and, bearing her in his arms, was spurring
desperately, and taking wild leaps over the enclosures.
With a speed scarcely inferior to his own,

although on foot, I followed him—we neared the
spot where I had posted my picket.

“Lydford!” I shouted, in a voice of supernatural
power—“Lydford! ho! rescue!”

A loud whoop answered me—a jovial hunting
halloo—and the full-mouthed bay of a hound. De
Chateaufort cleared the last stone wall, and for a
moment I lost sight of him. Again I heard the
deep cry of the hound; it had changed into a
sharp and savage treble—the peculiar note of the
creature as he views his game.

I leaped the fence, and, at some twenty paces
distant, I beheld the progress of a fearful struggle.
The charger, bearing away my deadliest foe and
most beloved bride, was at his speed; but, as he
toiled along, the bloodhound dashed full at his
head, seized him by the gullet, and bore him to the
earth. At the same instant Lydford snatched
Isabel from the villain's hold, and was, in the same
point of time, himself hurled to the earth—as it
seemed lifeless—by a tremendous sword-cut which
De Chateaufort dealt him as he fell. As the latter
recovered his feet, the terrified girl was borne off
in the arms of one of my subalterns, who, with a
dozen followers, had come up in time for the
rescue, and I—I was upon him!

“Quick, quick!” I shouted—“quick, Le Vasseur,

to horse! All of you, to horse! Protect the
lady with your lives; she is my wife. Away!
Make a wide circuit to the left; avoid both friend
and foe; rest not an instant, till she be in safety at
my quarters. And thou, Lydford,” I continued, as
I saw him too rise, stunned, perhaps, but unwounded,
“after them. Away! I am enough to
reckon with this miscreant!”

Our blades had already crossed, and in silence
we aimed desperately at each other's life. For a
few moments I was almost unconscious how I was
engaged. My mind was flying with my recovered
angel; my eyes were fixed on her departing form.
A smart wound in the sword—arm admonished me
of my folly.

“Have at you now!” I shouted; “there! there!
there!” and at each word I lunged with my whole
strength and activity at his face, for, all beside, he
was sheathed in steel. Steadily and well he parried
the thrusts; his teeth hard set, his eye glaring on
mine with deadly and terrible, because cool, malignity.
In the third lunge my foot slipped. I could
not recover myself. I felt the point of his weapon
enter my buff-coat on the left side—for, madly
enough, I had come out into action without my
corslet, forgotten in the wild tumult of my feelings
—instinctively I writhed my body sideways, I

know not how, from the cold blade, which passed
right out behind, grazing my ribs with a slight
wound in its passage. I clutched his hilt in my left
hand, and, dropping my own sword, dealt him a
heavy blow in the face with my gauntlet, at the
same moment tripping him with my foot from
behind. He fell headlong, as if shot; and in an
instant my gripe was in his throat—my knee upon
his chest. “Dog!” I whispered hoarsely from excitement,
“what have you to say that I should
spare your life?”

“This!” he replied; and, suiting the action to
the word, levelled and snapped a concealed pistol
almost in my face. But I was too quick for him;
I struck it aside, and it was discharged harmlessly.
In a second's space my poniard was in my hand;
I reared it high, high in the air, grasped his throat
yet more tightly—my soul was on fire—the impetus
was given, and the blow must have been
fatal,—when my arm was arrested from behind!—
It was D'Harcourt himself!

“Pshaw!” he muttered, contemptuously, “tarry
you for such a dog as this? Put up your dagger;
for shame! What! strike a fallen foe!”

“I do not need your teaching, sir,” I answered,
as I rose; “but let him reserve his worthless life for
the axe or cord, to which it is a forfeit! And

look to it, Monsieur le Comte D'Harcourt, that you
hold him securely. The Prince of Condé's orders
are most positive, regarding this same traitor. But
why do I see you here? How goes the battle in
the front?”

“Bravely, sir, bravely,” he replied; “but in
consequence of the protracted struggle here, I galloped
down in person to see if aught of ill had
befallen your command.”

“I might not leave this garrison behind me,” I
answered; “but now, if you will to the front, I
will advance on the left flank, which is even now
hard bestead with our cannonade, and my life on
the issue.”

“Well, sir; away! But how is this? you bleed
—are you much wounded?”

“Not so much but that I can do my duty. Will
it please you resume the leading of the centre?”

We parted, and—but it needs not to relate
the fortunes of that day—my fight was won already;
and, though I still led on for name and
honour, my heart was absent from the field. It is
enough we conquered; and although Lorraine,
with consummate skill, drew off his shattered army
to Maubeuge, where he was taken some weeks
later, we remained the masters of the field, with
all the stores, artillery, and baggage of the enemy,
and all the honours of the day.