Roy treasured up the words for Ivor’s future comfort.
“Ivor feels it terribly, sir!” he said.
“You have been much thrown with him!”
“Yes, sir. He has been the best friend to me that I ever could have.”
“I am glad to hear it. He is a friend worth having.” After a slight pause, the General remarked, “Napoleon made a blunder there for once. The absence of proper exchange falls at least as heavily upon the French as upon ourselves. By-the-by, you know Captain Keene also. He spoke to me of you.”
“Yes, sir. We are connected.”
“Well, Baron, I shall expect a good deal from a friend of Ivor!”
“I will do my best, sir,” Roy answered. Then an interruption came, and Sir John smiled kindly again, as he turned away. Roy went out of the room, captivated, dazzled, wild to do or to dare aught in the world for the sake of Moore.[2]
The last letter written by Sir John to his mother from Portsmouth was dated in the end of July, and he reached the coast of Portugal on the 20th of August, or about three weeks after the arrival there of Wellesley. Moore was ordered to disembark the troops with him, and at once to join Wellesley’s force.
Three days before Moore could get to the spot, Sir Arthur Wellesley—future Duke of Wellington—gained a decisive victory over the French at Vimeira. Unfortunately he, like Sir John Moore, was at this moment superseded in command by Sir Harry Burrard, who arrived while the battle was being fought; and the pursuit of the flying foe, which should have ended in a complete rout, was timidly cut short. Next day Sir Harry Burrard was in his turn superseded by Sir Hew Dalrymple, whose management of affairs and hasty signing of an armistice raised at home a storm of indignation.