In the evening a council was assembled again at headquarters, still more gloomy than usual. Miller opened it himself.
“The storm of to-day,” said he, “has brought no result. Our powder is nearly consumed; half of our men are lost, the rest discouraged: they look for disasters, not victory. We have no supplies; we cannot expect reinforcements.”
“But the cloister stands unmoved as on the first day of the siege,” added Sadovski.
“What remains for us?”
“Disgrace.”
“I have received orders,” said the general, “to finish quickly or retreat to Prussia.”
“What remains to us?” repeated the Prince of Hesse.
All eyes were turned to Count Veyhard, who said: “To save our honor!”
A short broken laugh, more like the gnashing of teeth, came from Miller, who was called Poliorcetes. “The Count wishes to teach us how to raise the dead,” said he.
Count Veyhard acted as though he had not heard this.