‘Where’s Kilmaine?’ ‘What of Hardy?’ ‘Is Grouchy coming?’ ‘Can the Brest fleet sail?’ ‘How many line-of-battle ships have they?’ ‘What’s the artillery force?’ ‘Have you brought any money?’ This last question, the most frequent of all, was suddenly poured in upon me, and with a fortunate degree of rapidity, that I had no time for a reply, had I even the means of making one. ‘Let the lad have a seat and a glass of wine before he submits to this interrogatory,’ said a fine, jolly-looking old _chef d’escadron_ at the head of the table, while he made a place for me at his side. ‘Now tell us, boy, what number of the “Guides” are to be of our party?’ I looked a little blank at the question, for in truth I had not heard of the corps before, nor was I aware that it was their uniform I was then wearing. ‘Come, come, be frank with us, lad,’ said he; ‘we are all comrades here. Confound secrecy, say I.’ ‘Ay, ay,’ cried the whole assembly together--‘confound secrecy. We are not bandits nor highwaymen; we have no need of concealment.’ ‘I’ll be as frank as you can wish, comrades,’ said I; ‘and if I lose some importance in your eyes by owning that I am not the master of a single state secret, I prefer to tell you so, to attempting any unworthy disguise. I come here, by orders from General Kilmaine, to join your expedition; and except this letter for General Humbert, I have no claim to any consideration whatever.’ The old _chef_ took the letter from my hands and examined the seal and superscription carefully, and then passed the document down the table for the satisfaction of the rest. While I continued to watch with anxious eyes the letter on which so much of my own fate depended, a low whispering conversation went on at my side, at the end of which the _chef_ said-- ‘It’s more than likely, lad, that your regiment is not coming; but our general is not to be balked for that. Go he will; and let the Government look to themselves if he is not supported. At all events you had better see General Humbert at once; there’s no saying what that despatch may contain. Santerre, conduct him upstairs.’ A smart young fellow arose at the bidding, and beckoned me to follow him.