He was right in his conjecture.  The two regained their friends just as the head of the convoy hove in sight.  To lead the train in a different direction, and to safety, was now easy.  The supplies reached their destination.

“Ton my honour, young sirs,” the Colonel exclaimed, when he learnt the story, “it was a smart trick, but a risky one—­confoundedly risky, gentlemen!”

The fall of Lille reduced France to desperation.  Louis was at his wits’ end.  To his credit, he sought earnestly to negotiate a peace for his unhappy and exhausted country.  The terms offered by the Allies, however, were too exacting, and not a Frenchman but rose to the occasion; this, however, was in the following year.  So the campaign ended, the enemy beaten and exhausted, but not in utter despair.

Captains Blackett and Fairburn were once more granted a term of leave when late autumn came round.  From London, which George saw now for the first time, the two travelled all the way to Newcastle in the wonderful stage-coach which ran from the English to the Scotch capital.

In high spirits they hurried towards their native village.  At the entrance to it they came all at once upon a gentleman walking in the company of three ladies.

“Fieldsend!” declared Matthew.

“Yes, by Jove!” cried George, “And with three ladies all to himself.  It’s too much!”

CHAPTER XI

THE HARDEST FIGHT OF THEM ALL

There had been an attempted descent on the shores of Scotland in 1708, the Old Pretender, under the auspices of Louis XIV, seeking to land 4,000 men in the Firth of Forth.  Admiral Byng with sixteen vessels was ready for the French expedition, and their fear of the redoubtable sailor kept the enemy from doing anything, so that this attempt came to less even than that which followed seven years later.

Politics about this time demanded much of Marlborough’s care and thought.  The power of the Whigs was still growing, Harley, St. John, and others of the moderate Tories giving way to such strong and active Whigs as Somers, Walpole, and Orford.  It was in 1709 that a violent quarrel took place between “Mrs. Morley” and “Mrs. Freeman.”  The Queen was becoming more than ever dissatisfied with Marlborough’s policy.  The overthrow of the Churchills was coming nearer.

Abroad matters did not improve.  It was true that Stanhope, the English general, took Minorca.  But the cause of Philip of Spain was now strong.  When, therefore, the Whigs demanded that as a condition of peace Louis should turn his grandson out of Spain, Europe was astounded.  The proposal was impossible, ludicrous.  Philip prepared to go on with the conflict, saying, with fine spirit, “If I must continue the war, I will contend against my enemies rather than against my own family.”  Such was the state of things in the summer of 1709.

We have left a group of ladies and gentlemen standing in the lane all this time.  Matthew had his sister in his arms in a moment, for one of the ladies was Mary Blackett.