Chapter 22: Oudenarde.
Chapter 23: The Siege of Lille.
Chapter 24: Adele.
Chapter 25: Flight and Pursuit.
Chapter 26: The Siege of Tournai.
Chapter 27: Malplaquet, and the End of the War.
Chapter 1: Windthorpe Chace.
"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four--turn to your lady;
one, two, three, four--now deep reverence. Now you take her hand;
no, not her whole hand--the tips of her fingers; now you lead her
to her seat; now a deep bow, so. That will do. You are improving,
but you must be more light, more graceful, more courtly in your
air; still you will do.
"Now run away, Mignon, to the garden; you have madam's permission
to gather fruit.
"Now, Monsieur Rupert, we will take our lesson in fencing."
The above speech was in the French language, and the speaker was a
tall, slightly-built man of about fifty years of age. The scene was
a long low room, in a mansion situated some two miles from Derby.
The month was January, 1702, and King William the Third sat upon
the throne. In the room, in addition to the dancing master, were
the lad he was teaching, an active, healthy-looking boy between
fifteen and sixteen; his partner, a bright-faced French girl of
some twelve years of age; and an old man, nearer eighty than
seventy, but still erect and active, who sat in a large armchair,
looking on.
By the alacrity with which the lad went to an armoire and took out
the foils, and steel caps with visors which served as fencing
masks, it was clear that he preferred the fencing lesson to the
dancing.
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