The year 1703 had been a sorry year for Marlborough. In the winter he
had lost his son, the Marquis of Blandford, a promising youth, a
Cambridge student. When the spring operations began, he had found
himself hampered at every turn by the jealousies and oppositions of
the Dutch rulers and their commanders. In despair, Marlborough had
marched up the Rhine and taken Bonn. Meanwhile the French were
striving to reach Vienna, there to attack the Emperor. Returning, the
Duke was all eager to attack the great port and stronghold of Antwerp,
the capture of which would be a heavy blow to Louis. He had, however,
to content himself with seizing Huy, Limburg, and Guilders, a success
more than counterbalanced by the defeat of the Emperor at Hochstädt,
by the French and Bavarians. Disheartened and disgusted, Marlborough
went home at the end of the summer, and it was only by the strong
persuasion of Lord Godolphin, now at the helm of state, that he
retained his command at all. As a set-off against all these
disappointments, there were two matters for rejoicing. The alliance
with Portugal has already been mentioned; now there came the accession
to the Allies of Savoy, for the Duke of Savoy had quarrelled with
Louis.

With intense interest, Lieutenant Fieldsend and George Fairburn heard,
on landing in the Netherlands, of the great victory of Blenheim that
had just been gained by the Allies under Marlborough, against the
combined French and Bavarian forces, commanded by the famous generals
Tallard and Marsin, and the two young soldiers hoped to learn more of
the great fight when they reached the front.

"What a bit of ill-luck not to have been there in time, sir!" George
exclaimed.