I will attend to our poor old father, and get the carriage ready, if, God help me, I dare use it." "But where, in the name of all that is fearful, shall we go?" said his second sister. "Not back to Hamburgh-not to endure another season of such deep degradation-not to be exposed to the -Oh brother, you saw we all submitted to our fate without a murmur, and laboured cheerfully on the fortifications, when compelled to do so, by that inhuman monster Davoust, amidst the ribaldry of a licentious soldiery, merely because poor Janette had helped to embroider a standard for the brave Hanseatic Legion— you know how we bore this "-here the sweet girl held out her delicate hands, galled by actual and unwonted labour—“ and many other indignities, until that awful night, when-No, brother, we shall await the arrival of the Russians, even should we see our once happy home converted into a field of battle; but into the city we shall not go.' "Be it so, then, my dearest sister.—Wilhelm, put up the Stuhlwagen. He had scarcely returned into the breakfast-room, when the door opened, and the very handsome young officer, the aide-de-camp of the prince, whom I had seen the night I was carried before Davoust, entered, splashed up to the eyes, and much heated and excited. I noticed blood on the hilt of his sword. His orderly sat on his foaming steed, right opposite where I stood, wiping his bloody sabre on his horse's mane. The women grew pale; but still they had presence of mind enough to do the honours with self-possession. The stranger wished us a good morning; and on being asked to sit down to breakfast, he unbuckled his sword, threw it from him with a clash on the floor, and then, with all the grace in the world, addressed himself to discuss the comestibles. He tried a slight approach to jesting now and then; but seeing the heaviness of heart which prevailed amongst the women, he, with the good breeding of a man of the world, forbore to press his attentions. Breakfast being finished, and the ladies having retired, he rose, buckled on his sword again, drew on his gloves, and taking his hat in his hand, he advanced to the window, and desired his men to "fall in." "Men-what men?" said poor Mr 66 Why, the marshal has had a company of sapeurs for these three days back in the adjoining village-they are now here." 66 Here!" exclaimed ***; “what do the sappers here?" Two of the soldiers carried slow matches in their hands, while their mus kets were slung at their backs. here?" "There is no mine to be sprung The young officer heard him with great politeness, but declined giving any answer. The next moment he turned towards the ladies, and was making himself as agreeable as time and circumstances would admit, when a shot came crashing through the roof, broke down the ceiling, and knocking the flue of the stove to pieces, rebounded from the wall, and rolled harmlessly beneath the table. He was the only person who did not start, or evince any dread. He merely cast his eyes upward and smiled. He then turned to poor***, who stood quite collected, but very pale, near where the stove had stood, and held out his hand to him. "On my honour," said the young soldier, "it grieves me to the very heart; but I must obey my orders. It is no longer an affair of posts; the enemy is pressing on us in force. The Allied columns are in sight; their cannon-shot have but now penetrated your roof; we have but driven in their pickets; very soon they will be here; and in the event of their advance, my orders are to burn down this house and the neighbouring village." A sudden flush rushed into Mr ***'s face. "Indeed! does the prince really". 66 The young officer bowed, and with something more of sternness in his manner than he had yet used, he said, “ Mr***, I duly appreciate your situation, and respect your feelings; but the prince of Eckmuhl is my superior officer, and under other circumstances "Here he slightly touched the hilt of his sword. "For myself I don't care,” said***, "but what is to become of my sisters?" 66 They must proceed to Hamburgh." Very well-let me order the Stuhlwagen, and give us, at all events, half an hour to move our valuables." Here Mr*** exchanged looks with his sisters. 66 Certainly," said the young officer; " and I will myself see you safe into the city." Who says that eels cannot be made used to skinning? The poor girls continued their little preparations with an alacrity and presence of mind that truly surprised me. There was neither screaming nor fainting, and by the time the carriage was at the door, they, with two female domestics, were ready to mount. I cannot better describe their vehicle, than by comparing it to a canoe mounted on four wheels connected by a long perch, with a coach-box at the bow, and three gig bodies hung athwart ships, or slung inside of the ca noe, by leather thongs. At the moment we were starting, Mr' came close to me and whispered, "Do you think your ship will still be in the river?" I answered that I made no doubt she was. "But even if she be not," said he, "the Holstein bank is open to us. Anywhere but Hamburgh now." And the scalding tears ran down his cheeks. At this moment there was a bustle on the hill top, and presently the artillery began once more to play, while the musketry breezed up again in the distance. A mounted bugler rode half way down the hill, and sounded the recall. The young officer hesitated. The man waved his hand, and blew the advance. "It must be for us-answer it." His bugle did so. "Bring the pitch, men—the flax-so now-break the windows, and let the air in-set the house on fire; and, Sergeant Guido, remain to prevent it being extinguished—I shall fire the village as we pass through. He gave the word to face about; and, desiring the men to follow at the same swinging run with which the whole of the infantry had originally advanced, he spurred his horse against the hill, and soon disappeared. My host's resolution seemed now taken. Turning to the sergeant "My good fellow, the reconnoissance will soon be returning; I shall precede it into the town." The man, a fine vieux moustache, hesitated. My friend saw it; and hit him in a Frenchman's most assailable quarter. "The ladies, my good man-the ladies!-You would not have them drive in pell-mell with the troops, exposed most likely to the fire of the Prussian advanced-guard, would you?" The man grounded his musket, and touched his cap-"Pass on." Away we trundled, until, coming to a cross-road, we turned down towards the river; and at the angle we could see thick wreaths of smoke curling up into the air, showing that the barbarous order had been but too effectually fulfilled. "What is that?" said A horse, with his rider entangled and dragged by the stirrup, passed us at full speed, leaving a long track of blood on the road. "Who is that? The coachman drove on, and gave no answer; until, at a sharp turn, we came upon the bruised and now breathless body of the young officer, who had so recently obeyed the savage behests of his brutal commander. There was a musket-shot right in the middle of his fine forehead, like a small blue point, with one or two heavy black drops of blood oozing from it. His pale features wore a mild and placid expression, evincing that the numberless lacerations and bruises, which were evident through his torn uniform, had been inflicted on a breathless corpse. The Stuhlwagen had carried on for a mile farther or so, but the firing seemed to approximate, whereupon our host sung out, "Fahrt zu, Schwager-Wir kommen nicht weiter. The driver of the Stuhlwagen skulled along until we arrived at the beautiful, at a mile off, but the beastly, when close to, village of Blankanese. When the voiture stopped in the village, there seemed to be a nonplusation, to coin a word for the nonce, between my friend and his sisters. They said something very sharply, and with a degree of determination that startled me. He gave no answer. Presently the Amazonian attack was renewed. "We shall go on board," said they. "Very well," said he; "but have patience, have patience!" 66 No, no. Wann wird man sich einschiffen müssen? By this time we were in the heart of the village, and surrounded with a whole lot, forty at the least, of Blankanese boatmen. We were not long in selecting one of the fleetest-looking of those very fleet boats, when we all trundled on board; and I now witnessed what struck me as being an awful sign of the times. The very coachman of the Stuhlwagen, after conversing a moment with his master, returned to his team, tied the legs of the poor creatures as they stood, and then with a sharp knife cut their jugular veins through and through on the right side, having previously reined them up sharp to the left, so that, before starting, we could see three of the team, which consisted of four superb bays, level with the soil and dead; the near wheeler only holding out on his forelegs. We shoved off at eleven o'clock in the forenoon; and after having twice been driven into creeks on the Holstein shore by bad weather, we arrived about two next morning safely on board the Torch, which immediately got under weigh for England. After my story had been told to the captain, I left my preserver, his father, and his sisters in his hands, and I need scarcely say that they had as hearty a welcome as the worthy old soul could give them, and dived into the midshipmen's berth for a morsel of comfort, where, in a twinkling, I was far into the secrets of a pork-pie. CHAPTER II. THE CRUISE OF THE TORCH. Sleep, gentle sleep Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast, Seal up the shipboy's eyes, and rock his brains, And in the visitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top, Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them HELIGOLAND light-north and by west-so many leagueswind baffling-weather hazy-Lady passengers on deck for the first time. Arrived in the Downs-ordered by signal from the guard-ship to proceed to Portsmouth. Arrived at Spithead-ordered to fit to receive a general officer, and six pieces of field artillery, and a Spanish ecclesiastic, the canon of --. Plenty of great guns, at any rate-a regular park of artillery. Received general **** and his wife, and aide-de-camp, and two poodle-dogs, one white man-servant, one black ditto, and the canon of, and the six nine-pound field-pieces, and sailed for the Cove of Cork. It was blowing hard as we stood in for the Old Head of Kinsale -pilot boat breasting the foaming surge like a sea gull-" Carrol Cove" in her tiny mainsail-pilot jumped into the main channel -bottle of rum swung by the lead line into the boat-all very clever. Ran in, and anchored under Spike Island. A line-of-battle ship, three frigates, and a number of merchantmen at anchor-men |