When an orderly officer had informed General von Offenburg of the Grand Duchess's presence he came forward at once. He was a fine figure of a man, in his long grey cloak with the scarlet collar. He bowed to Aurora and reminded her that he had once had the honour of dancing with her in Berlin. But with all his efforts he could barely conceal his astonishment at our presence at that hour and in such a guise. "Don't be too much surprised, General," said Aurora, with a smile. "As soon as I heard of the great events in prospect in this quarter I felt I could not remain at Lautenburg. I wanted to see and admire our men at the frontier, and here I am, with my orderly officer Lieutenant von Hagen, of the 7th Hussars," she said, presenting me. I saluted as stiffly and punctiliously as I possibly could. "Then why, Your Highness," exclaimed von Offenburg, "have you come this way? There is nothing very interesting here. The 16th Corps is a rock which nothing can move. Why did you not go round by Aachen?" "Yes," she said. "That was suggested. Round by Aix-la-Chapelle ...?" "Hadn't you heard that the whole army is being concentrated there?" the General whispered. "That's true," said Aurora. "But the Belgian frontier doesn't interest me. I should never have forgiven myself if I had not seen the French frontier at the very outbreak of war." "I greet you as the intrepid colonel of the brave 7th Hussars," said von Orenburg, kissing her hand. "Can I assist you in any way?" "Most certainly you can," said Aurora. "Do you realize your sentries arrested me off-hand just now? I ought really to ask you for an escort, but I'm afraid my _Benz_ would be hard put to it to keep up with your dragoons. May they take me as far as the outposts, and please give me some kind of permit to save me from any more little accidents when I come back. We must hurry on. It will soon be dawn, and I want to see the first rays of sunlight on the frontier-posts." The General had a permit brought. "There," he said, initialling it with a flourish. "You've just got time. Villerupt, in France, is a mile and a quarter from the frontier, and barely thirteen from here. You will be there in less than half an hour. But don't expect to see any French soldiers. Their Government has ordered them to withdraw two leagues from the frontier, to avoid any accident likely to precipitate war," he concluded with a coarse laugh. Escorted by a half-troop of dragoons we made an impressive exit from Thionville. When we had covered rather more than a mile on the Audun-le-Roman road the Grand Duchess whispered in my ear: "They are very kind, but I'm afraid we would find them a nuisance in the long run." And she let the car out to its top speed. Behind us, in the first faint light of day, the dragoons were soon strung out, and, a moment later, out of sight on the dark road.