"God damn your - Harry Smith, by all that's wonderful! I might have known it! When did you arrive? Where's your brigade?"
"At Waterloo. We were held up by the wagons and baggage upset all over the road from Brussels, and when we got to Waterloo we met Scovell, who had been sent by the Duke to see if the rear was clear - which, by God, it was not! He requested us to sweep up the litter before moving on! What's the news with you, old fellow?"
"Oh, famous! How's Juana? You haven't brought her out with you, I suppose?"
"Haven't brought her out with me?" exclaimed the Major. "She was sitting down to dinner with Lambert at some village just the other side of the Forest last night!"
"Good God, you don't mean to tell me she's with the brigade now?"
"No, I've sent her back to Ghent with her groom," replied the Major coolly. "We're in for a hottish day, from the looks of it. I understand my brigade will be wanted to relieve old Picton. Cut up at your little affair at Quatre-Bras, was he?"
"Devilishly. Someone said he himself had been wounded, but he's here today, so I suppose he wasn't. I must be off."
"By Jove, and so must I! We shall meet again - here or in hell! Adios! Bienes de fortuna!"
He cantered off; the Colonel set his horse at the bank on the right of the chaussee, scrambled up, and rode past Lord Edward Somerset's lounging squadrons up the slope to the front line.
By the time he had found the Duke it was just past eleven o'clock. He joined a group of persons gathered about his lordship, and sat with a loose rein, looking along the ridge opposite.