Major Stultz

“ Madame Rosenberg bit her lip, and observed, angrily—
“You really encourage Hildegarde to give way to her violence of temper, instead of pointing out to her the impropriety of her conduct, as I expected.”
“What is past, is past,” he answered; “and Major Stultz is satisfied.”
“Satisfied! I am the happiest man in the world!” exclaimed Major Stultz.
Crescenz smiled and blushed.
“Well, then, we are all happy. You take Crescenz, who is, if anything, too good and gentle, and I must for the present retain this passionate, good-for-nothing girl!” ”

“ Major Stultz must often have said——”
“Major Stultz,” said Crescenz, contemptuously, “never speaks of anything but how comfortably we shall live together, and what we shall have for dinner, and how many servants we shall be able to keep, and all those sorts of things, which make it impossible to forget one year of his age, or one bit of his ugliness.”
“He is a very good-natured man,” said Hamilton, “and Zedwitz told me, has been a very distinguished officer.” ”

“ At length Major Stultz spoke: “Mr. Hamilton, may I beg of you to drive a little slower—Crescenz’s nerves are not in a state to bear——”
“Why, good gracious, Crescenz!” exclaimed Madame Berger, “you don’t mean to say you are frightened? Mr. Hamilton drives so well that there is not the slightest danger.” ”

“ Major Stultz can hardly expect that because he intends to marry a very pretty girl, everyone is to find her ugly and disagreeable, in order not to provoke his jealousy! I can avoid speaking to her, but I cannot think her one bit less pretty than she really is.”
“Come now, Mr. Hamilton,” said Madame Rosenberg, jocosely, “I see you are trying to tease the Major, but you must not go too far, or he will not understand you. Crescenz is very good-looking, but I have no doubt you have seen many prettier girls in England.” ”

“ However little Major Stultz may have cared for Crescenz at first, it is impossible for him to remain long indifferent to so much goodness. I think he already begins to be sincerely attached to her; in time, gratitude and habit will enable her to return his affection, and they may, eventually, be very happy. At all events, my sister’s fate is now irrevocable. ”

“ Hamilton found no difficulty in complying with her request, and was so eloquent on the theme given him, that he not only convinced Major Stultz that he had been mistaken, but induced him even to banter him on his apparently hopeless love. Madame Rosenberg did not wait for this result; she no sooner perceived that Hamilton intended to comply with her request than she walked on beside Crescenz, and began a severe reprimand. Had she delayed a few minutes, she would have found the young lady more disposed to listen to her and profit by her advice. ”

“ Hildegarde pushed back her chair, Crescenz hung her head at his approach. “I have brought you a letter,” he said to the latter, “which I hope will give you pleasure. Major Stultz will be here early to-morrow, and trusts in the meantime you will try to forget all that has passed between you this evening. He sees that his absurd jealousy was enough to provoke you to say all, and more too, than you have said to him, and he is ready to believe that you spoke under the influence of extreme irritation. ”

“ Major Stultz laughed, bowed to Crescenz, who was not looking at him, and left the room with his future father-in-law.
The moment the door closed, Crescenz bounded towards her sister. “Oh, Hildegarde, you have no idea how beautifully arranged everything is downstairs! What a pity there are to be so few people! It was very stupid of Oscar to prefer driving off into the country at this time of year, to having a gay dance in the evening. However, Marie is quite satisfied. Do you know, the old Countess Raimund was below, looking so red and apoplectic. ”

“ A young man is always glad to gain admittance to a house where there are young ladies.”
“But, my dear Major, the man is engaged to be married to Mademoiselle de Hoffmann in January, and all other young women must be indifferent to him now!”
“Some men never become indifferent to young women, ma’am; and, if I am not mistaken, this Count Raimund is one of these persons. I think I have heard that he has been a very—a——”
“Very what?” asked Madame Rosenberg, quickly.
“Very wild—if not very profligate,” replied Major Stultz, distinctly. ”

“ He had lately drawn away from Struensee, and written the latter, shortly before his arrest, a letter, in which he reproached the minister for meditating the recall of Bernstorff's pension, and pointed at the great services of the discharged minister. That Sturtz felt no apprehension on his own account upon Struensee's fall, is proved by the fact that he arranged for his marriage with the daughter of Major Mazar de la Garde to take place on January 24, and placed none of his papers in safety. ”

“ The French defended themselves with obstinacy; and the Austrians, who had been supported by another Battalion, attacked with spirit. The hussars of Hesse Hombourg, on the right, under Major General Nostitz, and those of Szeckler on the left, under Major General Prince Maurice Liechtenstein, took post on the flanks of this infantry, to check the enemy's cavalry, (which was perceived on the farther side of the defile of Tellnitz) should it attempt to pass for the purpose of attacking these Austrian Battalions. ”

“ Had the left of the allied army observed the enemy's movements during the battle, and reflected upon his intentions; had it taken advantage of the ground, and seized the means which it presented for again concentrating itself, in order to execute a bold manœuvre by the height on which the chapel above Aujest is situated, and which extends quite to Pratzen. Had this been done, the battle might yet have been prolonged, and at least have given a chance that the event of this day would have been less decisive. The offensive movement on the part of the French disconcerted the attack of the allies ”

“ Well, then, we are all well. My father is constantly in the highest state of excitement over present events. The victory of Custozza fills him with radiant pride. He behaves as if he had won it himself. In any case he regards the splendour of that day as so bright that the reflection which falls on him as an Austrian and a general makes him completely happy. Lori, too, whose husband, as you know, is with the Army of the South, writes me a letter of triumph about this same Custozza. Do you recollect, Frederick, how jealous I was for a quarter of an hour about this same good Lori? ”

“ General Kienmayer marched upon Austerlitz, which the enemy had evacuated at ten o'clock, [8] on the morning of the 29th; and General Stutterheim arrived at Butschowitz, from whence he kept up the communication by Stanitz, with a detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Scheither, who had driven the enemy's detachments from Gaja. The French army concentrated its forces, the same day, between Turas and Brunn: it occupied the villages of Menitz, Tellnitz, Sokolnitz, Kobelnitz, and Schlapanitz, which covered its front, and placed its out-posts at Aujest, on the heights of Girshikowitz, and near Krug. ”

“ A reinforcement of 10,000 men was still expected, under General Essen; which, accordingly, arrived near Olmutz, at the moment when the allied army commenced its offensive operations. The corps of Essen was at Kremsir, the day of the battle of Austerlitz, and was of no kind of use. The army under M. de Koutousoff, was certainly stronger than the one opposed to it; but while the latter was concentrated towards a single point, and formed into masses, the former diffused its force as it advanced. It is not in numbers that the only, and, indeed, the principal strength of an army consists ”

“ The present state of Europe affords ample scope to the reflections of the statesman. For, though the soldier may account for the loss of a battle, by reasoning on what was done, and what was left undone, the subjugation of states is to be looked for in causes far remote from the scene of action. These are times which not only require superiority of intellect in those who govern, but the conviction on the part of the governed, that they are not mere spectators of the fray; that it is not a mere squabble for power ”

“ Here, as in the position, in front of Olmutz, the army was posted on a curtain, behind which massive columns might be posted, ready to act offensively. Its left was secured by the lakes of Menitz and Aujest, while the right was refused. But the taking advantage of this position was never thought of, any more than the possibility of being attacked on these heights, or of finding the enemy on this side the defile. The French emperor took advantage, in a masterly manner, of the faults that were committed. He kept his troops concentrated in massive columns, ready to act according to circumstances. ”

“ Note by a French officer.—This disposition, of which the Austrian officer makes mention, and which is accurate, shews that the emperor had foreseen, that the enemy might manœuvre on the line of operation from Olmutz, along the March; in this case, the Russian army must pass at Shadish, whence it was farther distant than Marshal Soult, who had some infantry at Gaja, and detachments of cavalry, observing all the route, necessary to this movement.
Whenever the enemy's movement had been known, they would have been allowed to advance. ”

“ A “sutler” in the American army is generally a thriving adventurer—with the officers liberal both of cash and credit—and, on festive occasions, not unfrequently their associate and boon companion. Such was he, the sutler, at Fort King.
On one of the festal days, he had provided a sumptuous dinner—no one about the fort so capable—to which the officers were invited—the commissioner himself being the honoured guest.
The banquet was set out in the sutler’s own house, which, as already mentioned, stood outside the stockade, several hundred yards off, and near to the edge of the woods. ”

“ The fifth column, by Neuwieslitz, followed the march of the third, and was posted in the valley, in front of Marhoefen.
The Reserve, under the Archduke Constantine, marched to Butschowitz; the advanced corps, under Prince Bagration, to Posorsitz; and pushed on its out-posts upon the causeway, and upon Krug. M. de Kienmayer remained at Austerlitz, and was reinforced by the brigade under General Stutterheim. A little affair of out-posts took place that day; the enemy was employed in reconnoitring, and a few cannon shots were ineffectually exchanged. ”

“ I speak plain enough!"
"Such fellows are—aw—out of my way."
"Then you will understand this, sir," said Studhome, grasping him fiercely by the shoulder, and with an expression in his eye which made even the insouciance of Berkeley to evaporate, "a few weeks must see us in the Levant, on the shores of Turkey, and before the enemy. A duel shall come off there, and to evade alike the laws of Britain and the rules of the service, the seconds shall bind themselves by a solemn promise to declare that he who may be wounded, or he who may be killed, was struck by a chance shot from the enemy. ”

“ This general prosecuted his march as far as the heights of Rausnitz, where he took up his position. The enemy was still master of this little town, and began to cannonade; but the Russian artillery, which was more numerous, soon silenced the fire. In the evening, two Russian Battalions took possession of Rausnitz, in front of which were placed the out-posts.
M. de Kienmayer, who, with his cavalry, had supported the Russian advanced guard on the left, took his direction upon Drasowitz, and there established his communication with Prince Bagration. ”

“ I said ribaldly, and Stuttfield left me in disgust.
Then I heard from a friend that he had sold his cottage at Redhill. This was a bad sign, and I went to see him. I found him much worse.
"You've taken an overdose of The Volcano," I said.
He seized my arm with trembling fingers.
"The Red Revolution is upon us," he hissed.
I laughed. "Don't you worry about the Red Revolution. You come out to lunch."
He would hardly be persuaded. Clubs and restaurants would be attacked first, he thought. If we lunched together it had better be in an eating-house in Bermondsey. ”

“ The French swarming round their guns seemed to him like ants.
In that world, the handsome drunkard Number One of the second gun's crew was "uncle"; Túshin looked at him more often than at anyone else and took delight in his every movement. The sound of musketry at the foot of the hill, now diminishing, now increasing, seemed like someone's breathing. He listened intently to the ebb and flow of these sounds.
"Ah! Breathing again, breathing!" he muttered to himself.
He imagined himself as an enormously tall, powerful man who was throwing cannon balls at the French with both hands. ”

“ Had it commenced its movement from the day when the Grand Duke Constantine arrived with his reinforcement, forming the reserve of the centre. If, at this epoch, it had manœuvred with rapidity, and calculation; if the reserve, under the Grand Duke, had been augmented by the corps under General Essen; if less importance had been attached to the resting an army, which, after some days inactivity, could no longer be fatigued; there might, perhaps, have been found means, without risking a battle, to oblige the French to abandon their position, by turning one of its flanks ”

“ And I verily believed that Soult had collected his whole force together here for the express purpose of either allowing himself to be surrounded, and thus make a show of being compelled to surrender, or of inducing his whole army to come over at once to the side of the Bourbons, but in all these conjectures I was completely mistaken; for whatever may have been Soult's faults as a man, he has always shown himself a consistent and an able defender of the cause he first espoused, and as such is certainly respectable. ”