Life of the last Earl of Stirling

PRISONER OF WAR. 39
of the great staircase, separated my apartment completely from
the others.
" During - the remaining four or five weeks of my
residence in Madame de Lamortiere's house, I was permitted
to enjoy security and peace. The General's collection of books
was such as a military man might be expected to possess; but
although a large portion of the works were little calculated to
interest me, there were many which did interest and amuse
me exceedingly. I was allowed to peruse any I pleased, and
almost immediately upon obtaining that permission I began
Abbe" Barthelemi's "Travels of Anacharsis in Greece," a
splendid edition in seventeen volumes with a large atlas
showing every move of the traveller. So deeply did this
work interest me and so assiduous was I in studying it, that I
found ti~ne to read the whole before the roar of distant
artillery, and my excellent hostess's visit to inform me of
the departure ot my generous friend and patron General
Durand with the army of reserve under his orders, made me
aware that the hour of my liberation and return to Paris was
at hand.
" I must not forget to mention that one evening an
exciting and trying scene for which I was in no wise prepared,
put my powers of dissimulation as well as my presence of
mind severely to the test. Being more than usually at leisure
and without any company, my excellent, kind-hearted pro-
tector, General Durand, sent his nephew to invite me to pay
him a secret visit at the Etat-Major. I of course made no
objection being certain that every precaution in their power
would be taken by my friends to avoid surprise or danger while
I should be with them. De Guernon made me wrap myself in
my military looking cloak and put on the same cap in which I
had arrived at Versailles, and when darkness shrouded the
town I took his arm and we sallied out into the streets for
the first and only time while I was in concealment there.
On reaching the hotel of the Staff (Etat-Major) de Guernon,
after giving the pass-word to the Sentinel at the door, led me
into the Court and up the private staircase to the General's
apartment. I was conducted to a small but elegant room or
boudoir in which my gallant friend, the General, was
accustomed to spend his evenings when alone, or accessible
only to a chosen few. He met me, as I entered, with a smile
and a squeeze of the hand, expressive of his generous and
friendly feelings. We had a delightful, confidential chat for
about half an hour, undisturbed. Suddenly, however, a
quick step near the principal door leading to his drawing-
room made General Durand aware of the approach of some
visitor. De Guernon had been sent a few minutes before by