However that may be, it is certain that Louis XIII. was at all events endowed with military genius; but even in the splendor of that most dazzling--to the eyes of men--of human gifts, his rays were paling before the superior endowments of his minister. Sickness, weariness, disgust, despondency--we know not well what--had already induced him to withdraw from the siege of Rochelle, and to leave Richelieu to carry on the operations with a force, an energy, a talent, which would have won fame for the most distinguished general or engineer. The cardinal might well, therefore, apply the words of Edward Langdale to himself, feeling them a compliment which, like the misty light of a summer's day, was the more warm because it was in some degree indefinite. Richelieu did not wish to have it otherwise, and, without further words, turned his eyes once more upon the scene before them. A small battery opened its fire upon the walls of the devoted town as they sat there and gazed; but nobody could see whether it produced any effect or not. Richelieu, at all events, paid little attention to it, and only murmured to himself, "Waste of saltpetre!" Shortly after, he sent off two gentlemen on horseback with messages written in pencil on small scraps of paper, and then turned to gaze again. Some five minutes after, a man on horseback came back, galloping up from the rear, and gave him some information in a low voice. For a short space his brow contracted as if with anger; but the emotion lasted evidently only a moment, and the next instant he smiled almost gayly, and he said, aloud, "Well, one may have too many rats in a rat-trap. Monsieur Langdale, come hither." Edward rode close up, and the cardinal asked, "Do you know any thing of the Duc de Rohan?" "No, your Eminence," replied Edward; "I have not seen or heard of him for nearly nine months." "You did not see him last night?" said Richelieu. "The Duc de Rohan!" exclaimed Edward, in a tone of surprise. "I passed all last night, sir, in the Chateau de Fontenay; but the duke certainly was not there, to my knowledge." "Nevertheless," said Richelieu, in a quiet tone, "he passed from right to left of our army in the rear with his whole force: so I understand." "Now I comprehend what I saw last night," said Edward; and he detailed all he had observed from the window of the chateau. "It was no phantom," said Richelieu, gravely; "but it is as well. I wonder if there were other people in the town or castle who took men for shadows as well as you. How long are you from Savoy, where I last heard of you?" "A long time, may it please your Eminence," replied the young Englishman; "but only eleven days from the Chateau of Coiffy,--whence you certainly should have heard of me if they had not debarred me the use of pen and ink and kept me a close prisoner for months."