He felt, moreover, that even a successful attack upon the Right would, in all probability, induce the Duke to fall back upon the Prussians; and thus effect that junction which it was his great object to frustrate: whereas, an attack upon the Anglo-Allied Left, which was not so strong, if successful, held out to him the prospect of his being enabled, by aid of the presumed vigorous co-operation on the part of GROUCHY, and the momentarily expected arrival of a portion of that Marshal's forces on his own Right, to defeat both Armies in detail. The Batteries had been regularly posted and fully prepared for action, and the Infantry Columns had advanced to the inner brow of the intervening ridge, when NEY sent word to the Emperor that the preliminary arrangements were completed, and that he only waited His Majesty's Orders to commence the attack. NAPOLEON immediately took a general view of the Field of Battle, and continuing his observations beyond his Right, in order to discover, if possible, any indication of the approach either of GROUCHY or of a hostile force, he perceived in the direction of St Lambert an indistinct mass, having the appearance of a body of troops; and pointing out the object to SOULT, who was near him at the time, asked his opinion; whereupon the Marshal observed, that he really conceived it to be a Column on the march, and that there was great reason to believe it was a Detachment from GROUCHY. All the Staff directed their telescopes upon the point indicated; and, as the atmosphere was not very clear, different opinions were entertained: some asserting that what had been taken for troops were trees; others that they were Columns in position; whilst several agreed with SOULT, that they were troops on the march. In this state of uncertainty and suspense, the Emperor sent for General DOMON, and desired him to proceed instantly with a strong reconnoitring party to the right, and procure correct intelligence; to put himself quickly in communication with the troops approaching from St Lambert; to effect a junction with them, if they belonged to Marshal GROUCHY, and to impede their advance if they proved to be Enemies. At the same time, the two Light Cavalry Divisions of DOMON and SUBERVIE proceeded some distance in the direction of the Wood of Paris; and were then drawn up _en potence_ to the Right of the French Army.