The frost was somewhat less intense, and the sun shining clear and bright, when my little cavalcade approached a battery of three small pieces of artillery which defended the principal entrance of the village that formed the centre. It was a gay and cheerful scene; strife for a time had ceased, and the soldiers were amusing themselves, as best they might, in various manners, though just on the outside of the camp the amusements that were going on were certainly all of an athletic kind, for it needed the most robust exercise to make the blood circulate freely in the terrible cold of that year. A considerable number of officers and gentlemen were gathered together near the battery I have spoken of, looking out over the wintry scene before them; and as my coming formed a little incident in the somewhat monotonous life they had led for the last two days, five or six of those who knew me came forth to shake hands, and to congratulate me on my safe return.
"Well, fortunate De Cerons," cried one, looking somewhat earnestly at Louise, who had drawn the veil down over her whole head and face as we approached, "You have made a fair booty, as usual."
He spoke with a smile, but I replied, "I sent all the booty that I did get back to the camp the day before yesterday; but all that was found was in the enemy's tents, I believe. I have been lucky enough, however, to rescue my fair cousin, Mademoiselle de Blancford, from the hands of the Catholics, who had taken her prisoner; so I must see where I can find some sort of comfortable quarters. You have no idea, Monsieur de Luze, where my people are with the baggage?"
"Oh, the Prince de Condé has taken especial good care of you," said the other, laughing; "he has given you the house of a fat farmer there up at the end of the village, and a cottage close by it for your people. Montgomery wanted it, and half a dozen others; but he said you had done him as much service that night by your army of baggage-wagons on the hill as if you had brought him up ten thousand men; and therefore, having sent you to follow the enemy, he would be your quartermaster himself."
I thanked him for his information, and was riding on, but another officer stopped me, putting his hand upon the bridle, and asking, "Do you always go to war, brave De Cerons, with a femme-de-chambre in your suite!"
My cheek began to glow, for I thought he had applied that term to Louise: but he added immediately, "I do not know whether you are aware of it, but three or four femmes-de-chambre, with five or six blue-nosed serving-men, and a good old clergyman, who preached us an excellent sermon yesterday, have taken possession of your quarters, right or wrong, though the prince refused them to me and to Montgomery."
"That is your father's servants, and La Tour, and your own woman, Louise," I said. "We must ride on and find them out. They will all be right glad to see you safe."
But I was destined to be stopped once more; for one of the officers I had just passed called after me as the troop rode in, "Hi, De Cerons! Hi! Where did you get this that the man is carrying? Why, it is Martigue's own cornet!"
"It is his no longer," I answered: "but the fact is, I beat up their quarters in their camp last night. They came out after me, and we drove them back again, taking their cornet."
"You are certainly the luckiest man in the camp," cried another. But, without waiting for any more observations, I rode on as quickly as possible towards the house which had been indicated as my quarters. It proved, however, that eager eyes had been looking for my return; and, before I had reached the farmhouse, good La Tour was out and through the little gate of the courtyard to meet me. The old man's face sparkled with joy when he saw me, but ten times more when he saw Louise along with me; and he exclaimed, embracing me as closely as my iron covering would permit, "I should never do for a soldier, my dear Henry, I should never do for a soldier. I have been more anxious than you can conceive; every half hour, every moment, I thought that it was either you returned, or some one to say that you had been killed or wounded."