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　addition　to　the　revolution　he　had　made　in　war；　by　his　new　contributions　to　its　methods；　he　had　also　made　a　revolution　at　Paris；　among　the　young　noblemen　of　the　court；　whose　natural　chief　he　was　and　who；　in　distinction　from　the　social　leaders　of　the　ancient　court；　modeled　after　Bassompierre；　Bellegarde　and　the　Duke　d'Angouleme；　were　called　the　petits…maitres。
　　At　the　first　words　of　the　Count　de　Guiche；　the　prince；　having　in　mind　the　direction　whence　came　the　sound　of　cannon；　had　understood　everything。　The　enemy　was　marching　upon　Lens；　with　the　intention；　doubtless；　of　securing　possession　of　that　town　and　separating　from　France　the　army　of　France。　But　in　what　force　was　the　enemy？　Was　it　a　corps　sent　out　to　make　a　diversion？　Was　it　an　entire　army？　To　this　question　De　Guiche　could　not　respond。
　　Now；　as　these　questions　involved　matters　of　gravest　consequence；　it　was　these　to　which　the　prince　had　especially　desired　an　answer；　exact；　precise；　positive。
　　Raoul　conquered　the　very　natural　feeling　of　timidity　he　experienced　and　approaching　the　prince：
　　〃My　lord；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　permit　me　to　hazard　a　few　words　on　that　subject；　which　will　perhaps　relieve　you　of　your　uncertainty？〃
　　The　prince　turned　and　seemed　to　cover　the　young　man　with　a　single　glance；　he　smiled　on　perceiving　that　he　was　a　child　hardly　fifteen　years　old。
　　〃Certainly；　monsieur；　speak；〃　he　said；　softening　his　stern；　accented　tones；　as　if　he　were　speaking　to　a　woman。
　　〃My　lord；〃　said　Raoul；　blushing；　〃might　examine　the　Spanish　prisoner。〃
　　〃Have　you　a　Spanish　prisoner？〃　cried　the　prince。
　　〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Ah；　that　is　true；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃I　had　forgotten　it。〃
　　〃That　is　easily　understood；　it　was　you　who　took　him；　count；〃　said　Raoul；　smiling。
　　The　old　marshal　turned　toward　the　viscount；　grateful　for　that　praise　of　his　son；　whilst　the　prince　exclaimed：
　　〃The　young　man　is　right；　let　the　prisoner　be　brought　in。〃
　　Meanwhile　the　prince　took　De　Guiche　aside　and　asked　him　how　the　prisoner　had　been　taken　and　who　this　young　man　was。
　　〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　prince；　turning　toward　Raoul；　〃I　know　that　you　have　a　letter　from　my　sister；　Madame　de　Longueville；　but　I　see　that　you　have　preferred　mending　yourself　to　me　by　giving　me　good　counsel。〃
　　〃My　lord；〃　said　Raoul；　coloring　up；　〃I　did　not　wish　to　interrupt　your　highness　in　a　conversation　so　important　as　that　in　which　you　were　engaged　with　the　count。　But　here　is　the　letter。〃
　　〃Very　well；〃　said　the　prince；　〃give　it　to　me　later。　Here　is　the　prisoner；　let　us　attend　to　what　is　most　pressing。〃
　　The　prisoner　was　one　of　those　military　adventurers　who　sold　their　blood　to　whoever　would　buy；　and　grew　old　in　stratagems　and　spoils。　Since　he　had　been　taken　he　had　not　uttered　a　word；　so　that　it　was　not　known　to　what　country　he　belonged。　The　prince　looked　at　him　with　unspeakable　distrust。
　　〃Of　what　country　are　you？〃　asked　the　prince。
　　The　prisoner　muttered　a　few　words　in　a　foreign　tongue。
　　〃Ah！　ah！　it　seems　that　he　is　a　Spaniard。　Do　you　speak　Spanish；　Grammont？〃
　　〃Faith；　my　lord；　but　indifferently。〃
　　〃And　I　not　at　all；〃　said　the　prince；　laughing。　〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　turning　to　those　who　were　near　him　〃can　any　one　of　you　speak　Spanish　and　serve　me　as　interpreter？〃
　　〃I　can；　my　lord；〃　said　Raoul。
　　〃Ah；　you　speak　Spanish？〃
　　〃Enough；　I　think；　to　fulfill　your　highness's　wishes　on　this　occasion。〃
　　Meanwhile　the　prisoner　had　remained　impassive　and　as　if　he　had　no　understanding　of　what　was　taking　place。
　　〃My　lord　asks　of　what　country　you　are；〃　said　the　young　man；　in　the　purest　Castilian。
　　〃Ich　bin　ein　Deutscher；〃　replied　the　prisoner。
　　〃What　in　the　devil　does　he　say？〃　asked　the　prince。　〃What　new　gibberish　is　that？〃
　　〃He　says　he　is　German；　my　lord；〃　replied　Raoul；　〃but　I　doubt　it；　for　his　accent　is　bad　and　his　pronunciation　defective。〃
　　〃Then　you　speak　German；　also？〃　asked　the　prince。
　　〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Well　enough　to　question　him　in　that　language？〃
　　〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Question　him；　then。〃
　　Raoul　began　the　examination；　but　the　result　justified　his　opinion。　The　prisoner　did　not　understand；　or　seemed　not　to　understand；　what　Raoul　said　to　him；　and　Raoul　could　hardly　understand　his　replies；　containing　a　mixture　of　Flemish　and　Alsatian。　However；　amidst　all　the　prisoner's　efforts　to　elude　a　systematic　examination；　Raoul　had　recognized　his　natural　accent。
　　〃Non　siete　Spagnuolo；〃　he　said；　〃non　siete　Tedesco；　siete　Italiano。〃
　　The　prisoner　started　and　bit　his　lips。
　　〃Ah；　that；〃　said　the　prince；　〃I　understand　that　language　thoroughly；　and　since　he　is　Italian　I　will　myself　continue　the　examination。　Thank　you；　viscount；〃　continued　the　prince；　laughing；　〃and　I　appoint　you　from　this　moment　my　interpreter。〃
　　But　the　prisoner　was　not　less　unwilling　to　respond　in　Italian　than　in　the　other　languages；　his　aim　was　to　elude　the　examination。　Therefore；　he　knew　nothing　either　of　the　enemy's　numbers；　or　of　those　in　mand；　or　of　the　purpose　of　the　army。
　　〃Very　good；〃　said　the　prince；　understanding　the　reason　of　that　ignorance；　〃the　man　was　caught　in　the　act　of　assassination　and　robbery；　he　might　have　purchased　his　life　by　speaking；　he　doesn't　wish　to　speak。　Take　him　out　and　shoot　him。〃
　　The　prisoner　turned　pale。　The　two　soldiers　who　had　brought　him　in　took　him；　each　by　one　arm；　and　led　him　toward　the　door；　whilst　the　prince；　turning　to　Marshal　de　Grammont；　seemed　to　have　already　forgotten　the　order　he　had　given。
　　When　he　reached　the　threshold　of　the　door　the　prisoner　stopped。　The　soldiers；　who　knew　only　their　orders；　attempted　to　force　him　along。
　　〃One　moment；〃　said　the　prisoner；　in　French。　〃I　am　ready　to　speak；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Ah！　ah！〃　said　the　prince；　laughing；　〃I　thought　we　should　e　to　that。　I　have　a　sure　method　of　limbering　tongues。　Young　men；　take　advantage　of　it　against　the　time　when　you　may　be　in　mand。〃
　　〃But　on　condition；〃　continued　the　prisoner；　〃that　your　highness　will　swear　that　my　life　shall　be　safe。〃
　　〃Upon　my　honor；〃　said　the　prince。
　　〃Question；　then；　my　lord。〃
　　〃Where　did　the　army　cross　the　Lys？〃
　　〃Between　Saint…Venant　and　Aire。〃
　　〃By　whom　is　it　manded？〃
　　〃By　Count　de　Fuonsaldagna；　General　Beck　and　the　archduke。〃
　　〃Of　how　many　does　it　consist？〃
　　〃Eighteen　thousand　men　and　thirty…six　cannon。〃
　　〃And　its　aim　is？〃
　　〃Lens。〃
　　〃You　see；　gentlemen！〃　said　the　prince；　turning　with　a　triumphant　air　toward　Marshal　de　Grammont　and　the　other　officers。
　　〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　said　the　marshal；　〃you　have　divined　all　that　was　possible　to　human　genius。〃
　　〃Recall　Le　Plessis；　Bellievre；　Villequier　and　D'Erlac；〃　said　the　prince；　〃recall　all　the　troops　that　are　on　this　side　of　the　Lys。　Let　them　hold　themselves　in　readiness　to　march　to…night。　To…morrow；　according　to　all　probability；　we　shall　attack　the　enemy。〃
　　〃But；　my　lord；〃　said　Marshal　de　Grammont；　〃consider　that　when　we　have　collected　all　our　forces　we　shall　have　hardly　thirteen　thousand　men。〃
　　〃Monsieur　le　marechal；〃　said　the　prince；　with　that　wonderful　glance　that　was　peculiar　to　him；　〃it　is　with　small　armies　that　great　battles　are　won。〃
　　Then　turning　toward　the　prisoner；　〃Take　away　that　man；〃　he　said；　〃and　keep　him　carefully　in　sight。　His　life　is　dependent　on　the　information　he　has　given　us；　if　it　is　true；　he　shall　be　free；　if　false；　let　him　be　shot。〃
　　The　prisoner　was　led　away。
　　〃Count　de　Guiche；〃　said　the　prince；　〃it　is　a　long　time　since　you　saw　your　father；　remain　here　with　him。　Monsieur；〃　he　continued；　addressing　Raoul；　〃if　you　are　not　too　tired；　follow　me。〃
　　〃To　the　end　of　the　world；　my　lord！〃　cried　Raoul；　feeling　an　unknown　enthusiasm　for　that　young　general；　who　seemed　to　him　so　worthy　of　his　renown。
　　The　prince　smiled；　he　despised　flatterers；　but　he　appreciated　enthusiasts。
　　〃e；　monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　good　in　council；　as　we　have　already　discovered；　to…morrow　we　shall　know　if　you　are　good　in　action。〃
　　〃And　I；〃　said　the　marshal；　〃what　am　I　to　do？〃
　　〃Wait　here　to　receive　the　troops。　I　shall　either　return　for　them　myself　or　shall　send　a　courier　directing　you　to　bring　them　to　me。　Twenty　guards；　well　mounted；　are　all　that　I　shall　need　for　my　escort。〃
　　〃That　is　very　fe