"A wonder you left."
"We had such very pressing invitations to leave that the colonel could hardly refuse. The Diet, you know, has gone to Szegedin with the army of the north."
"Yes. We heard that."
"Well, directly Haynau had you beaten up yonder, he sent an army corps hot-foot for Pesth. At the same time Paskewitch dispatched a Russian corps from the east, and we thought it time to move."
"How was it you didn't go south with the others?"
"Because, fortunately, we had orders to join Görgei here."
"Shall we make a stand at Waitzen?"
The colonel shook his head. "May stay for a bit of a fight," he replied. "Nothing more."
"Then what do you think Görgei will do?"
"Retreat through the mountains, and threaten to strike at Galicia. That will bring Paskewitch back in double quick time, and Dembinski will have only the Austrians to tackle. Oh, we shall lead them a lively dance yet!"