Nor did the reported fate of his former wives prevent the present one from forming a connection with one of our sergeants, whose criminal intercourse with her was beyond a doubt. In the early part of March, 1815, we left this place, and lay three or four days at a village about three miles distant. From thence we were taken on an excursion across the country for a distance of thirty miles, through cross country-roads, and over fields, hedges, and ditches. At night, dreadfully fatigued, we lodged in some barns, and early in the morning fell in; the colonel having received orders to take the regiment back that night to the village we had quitted the day before. On our return we encountered a very severe storm of wind, hail, and rain; the men were so completely knocked up, and some of them literally knocked down, by the hailstones, or more properly speaking, masses of ice, that they were almost in a state of mutiny at being so harassed without any object. The colonel was requested to halt the men at some place short of their destination; but he replied, "he must go the whole distance with the colours, even if he did not take thirty men with him." Numbers of the men were actually unable to proceed; only about one hundred of us went in with the colonel and colours, and it was several days afterwards before we could muster the men. I never could learn the reason for this extraordinary march. In war time we were frequently called on to make forced marches, but then we knew there was a necessity for it, and an object to be gained; but here there was no apparent motive beyond the mere caprice of the general. While stopping here, for the first and last time in my life, I had my fortune told me, not only unsolicited, but under circumstances of a rather extraordinary na ture. I was billetted by myself on a cottage, about a mile from the village, the only inmates being an old man, his daughter, and her infant. The husband of the young woman was serving with the Belgian troops, and was then stationed at Ghent; the old man was dangerously ill with the scarlet fever, and as they had no relatives near them, and the neighbours not liking to visit them under the circumstances, I occasionally assisted the young woman in ministering to her father's wants, for which she was extremely grateful. On one occasion she hastily drew from the cupboard a pack of cards, and after turning them over in a variety of ways, she at length pronounced my fate; which was, that I should go in one more grand battle; that I should then go home to England, and marry a certain person, who was then waiting for me. I laughed at the prediction at the time, but have often since wondered at its accuracy. We left this place again very suddenly, and apparently on the same wild-goose chase as before. After marching upwards of thirty miles by a roundabout way, we reached the city of Tourney at one o'clock in the morning, dreadfully tired. The night was very dark, the street lamps were nearly all out, and as we were not expected, no billets had been provided; and, cold as the night was, most of the men took out their great coats, and laid down on the pavement. An intimation was given us, that if we could prevail on the persons on whom we had been billetted when we were last here to open the door to us, we might do so; but we were strictly prohibited from making use of force or intimidation. As I had been on exceedingly good terms at my quarters, I thought I would try the experiment. Groping my way, therefore, in the dark, I reached the place alone, just as the clock struck two, and rang at the bell. Presently the servant came, but not being thoroughly awake, I was some time in making her understand who I was; when I did do so, she uttered an exclamation of surprise, went and acquainted her master and mistress of the circumstance, and by the time I was admitted, the whole establishment was up: even the children came running round me, almost in a state of nudity. I was always kind to the children, and that sometimes made me a favourite with the parents. After the gratulations were over, I took some little refreshment and went to my old bed, completely worn out with the day's journey. After breakfast next morning, they insisted that I should not seek another billet, but come and live with them without one; however, I never saw them afterwards, as we left the town immediately. We proceeded directly to Ath, another strongly fortified place, on the borders of France, where we obtained information of the return of Napoleon. Nothing was known as to his future movements; but it was considered most likely that his first attempt would be to drive the British from Belgium, when the inhabitants and troops would no doubt join him. The circumstances attending the return of Buonaparte were of such an extraordinary character, that a brief narrative of the facts cannot be altogether irrelevant. I shall therefore devote the next chapter thereto. CHAPTER VI. "How quick the changes of the soldier's fame, 'Nor sheathe your swords, (he cries,) till all shall yield.”” PROCLAMATION of Napoleon, on landing in France. "To the Army, 1st of March, 1815. "Napoleon! by the Grace of God, and the Constitution of the Empire, Emperor of the French, &c. &c. "To the French People. "Soldiers! "We were not conquered. Two men, raised from our ranks, betrayed our laurels-their country--their prince-their benefactor. "Those, whom during twenty-four years we have seen traversing all Europe to raise up enemies against us, who have passed their lives in fighting against us in the ranks of foreign armies, cursing our beautiful France, shall they pretend to command and control our Eagles, on which they have not dared even to look? Shall we endure that they should inherit the fruits of our glorious labours? that they should clothe themselves with our honour and our goods? that they should calumniate our glory? If their reign should |