The General in command of the fortress was not at headquarters, but in the end we found him at the station with his staff. He was watching the detraining of the troops at the platforms, which were literally black with them. In the great square an enormous mass of guns projected their antediluvian silhouettes on the night. I received an impression of sheer numbers and brute force which made me shudder.
When an orderly officer had informed General von Offenburg of the Grand Duchess's presence he came forward at once. He was a fine figure of a man, in his long grey cloak with the scarlet collar. He bowed to Aurora and reminded her that he had once had the honour of dancing with her in Berlin. But with all his efforts he could barely conceal his astonishment at our presence at that hour and in such a guise.
"Don't be too much surprised, General," said Aurora, with a smile. "As soon as I heard of the great events in prospect in this quarter I felt I could not remain at Lautenburg. I wanted to see and admire our men at the frontier, and here I am, with my orderly officer Lieutenant von Hagen, of the 7th Hussars," she said, presenting me.
I saluted as stiffly and punctiliously as I possibly could.
"Then why, Your Highness," exclaimed von Offenburg, "have you come this way? There is nothing very interesting here. The 16th Corps is a rock which nothing can move. Why did you not go round by Aachen?"
"Yes," she said. "That was suggested. Round by Aix-la-Chapelle ...?"
"Hadn't you heard that the whole army is being concentrated there?" the General whispered.
"That's true," said Aurora. "But the Belgian frontier doesn't interest me. I should never have forgiven myself if I had not seen the French frontier at the very outbreak of war."
"I greet you as the intrepid colonel of the brave 7th Hussars," said von Orenburg, kissing her hand. "Can I assist you in any way?"
"Most certainly you can," said Aurora. "Do you realize your sentries arrested me off-hand just now? I ought really to ask you for an escort, but I'm afraid my Benz would be hard put to it to keep up with your dragoons. May they take me as far as the outposts, and please give me some kind of permit to save me from any more little accidents when I come back. We must hurry on. It will soon be dawn, and I want to see the first rays of sunlight on the frontier-posts."