"Well, well!" drawled Fremantle, when his Highness had gone off upstairs to pay his respects to the Duke "Our Corps Commander! One comfort is that old Constant will do much better without him. Think there's anything brewing, Canning?"
"I don't know. Another hum, I daresay. Muffling has heard nothing: he was in here a few minutes ago."
The Duke dined early, sitting down to table with the Prince of Orange and the various members of his staff. At three o'clock a despatch was brought in for the Prince, from Braine-le-Comte. It was from Constant, containing a report received from General Behr at Mons, just after the Prince's departure from his headquarters. The 2nd Prussian Brigade of Ziethen's 1st Corps had been attacked early that morning, and alarm guns fired all along the line. The attack seemed to be directed on Charleroi.
The Duke ran his eye over the despatch. "H'm! Sent off at 9.30, I see. Doesn't tell us much."
"Behr had it from General Steinmetz, through Van Vlerlen," said the Prince. "That would put the attack in the small hours, for Steinmetz's despatch you see, was sent off from Fontaine-l'Eveque. Sir, do you think -?"
"Don't think anything," said his lordship. "I shall hear from Grant presently."
At four o'clock Muffling came in with a despatch from General Ziethen, which was dated 9a.m. from Charleroi. It contained the brief information that the Prussians had been engaged since 4a.m. Thuin had been captured by the French, and the Prussian outposts driven back. General Ziethen hoped the Duke would concentrate his army on Nivelles, seven miles to she west of the main Charleroi-Brussels chaussee.
The Duke remained for some moments deep in thought. Muffling presently said: "How will you assemble your army, sir?"
The Duke replied in his decided way: "I will order all to be ready for instant march, but I must wait for advice from Mons before fixing a rendezvous."
"Prince Blucher will concentrate on Ligny, if he has not already done so."