have plenty of fine wars. And you think that the English will offer us
battle?'

'I have no doubt of it.'

'We feared that when they understood that it was the Emperor in person
who had come they would throw down their arms. I have heard that
there are some fine women over there.'

'The women are beautiful.'

He said nothing, but for some time he squared his shoulders and puffed
out his chest, curling up the ends of his little yellow moustache.

'But they will escape in boats,' he muttered at last; and I could see
that he had still that picture of a little island in his imagination.
'If they could but see us they might remain. It has been said of the
Hussars of Bercheny that they can set a whole population running, the
women towards us, the men away. We are, as you have no doubt observed,
a very fine body of men, and the officers are the pick of the service,
though the seniors are hardly up to the same standard as the rest of
us.'

With all his self-confidence, this officer did not seem to me to be more
than my own age, so I asked him whether he had seen any service. His
moustache bristled with indignation at my question, and he looked me up
and down with a severe eye.

'I have had the good fortune to be present at nine battles, sir, and at
more than forty skirmishes,' said he. 'I have also fought a