scarce a village standing within twenty miles, and many parts have
suffered much more than we have. If this war goes on, God help the
people, for I know not what will become of them. This is my house,
will you please to enter."

Entering a wide hall, he led them into a low sitting room where
his wife and three daughters were at work. They started up with
looks of alarm at the clatter of steel in the hall.

"Wife," the syndic said as he entered, "these are two gentlemen,
officers of the Scottish regiment; they will stay with us during
the occupation of the town. I know that you and the girls will do
your best to make their stay pleasant to them."

As the officers removed their helmets the apprehensions of the women
calmed down on perceiving that one of their guests was a young man
of three or four and twenty, while the other was a lad, and that
both had bright pleasant faces in no way answering the terrible
reputation gained by the invincible soldiers of the Swedish king.

"I hope," Farquhar said pleasantly, "that you will not put yourselves
out of your way for us. We are soldiers of fortune accustomed to
sleep on the ground and to live on the roughest fare, and since
leaving Scotland we have scarcely slept beneath a roof. We will be
as little trouble to you as we can, and our two soldier servants
will do all that we need."

Farquhar spoke in German, for so large a number of Germans were
serving among the Swedes that the Scottish officers had all learned
to speak that language and Swedish, German being absolutely necessary