A fortnight after the Scottish Dragoons joined the
army the king was present at an inspection of their
regiment. As the brilliant cortege passed along
the line Ronald saw among the gaily dressed throng
of officers riding behind the king and Marshal Saxe
the Marquis de Recambours and the Duke de Chateaurouge
side by side. Ronald with two other gentlemen
volunteers were in their places in the rear of the
regiment. It was drawn up in double line, and
as the royal party rode along for the second time,
Ronald saw that the two noblemen were looking scrutinizingly
through the line of troopers at himself and his two
companions.
That evening Colonel Hume on his return from a visit
to Marshal Saxe told Ronald that the general had inquired
after him, and had sent him word that if he won the
battle he would not forget the promise he had made
him. He had requested Colonel Hume to place Ronald
at his disposal on the day of the battle.
“‘I shall want active officers to carry
my messages,’ he said, ’and your young
friend may have a greater opportunity of distinguishing
himself than he would with the regiment. I should
in that case find it all the easier to bring his business
before the king.’
“The marshal is terribly ill,” Colonel
Hume said as he reported the conversation to Ronald,
“so ill that he can only occasionally sit on
his horse. Nothing but his indomitable courage
sustains him. He is drawn about in a light carriage
made of basketwork, and this serves him also for his
bed.”
On the 7th of May the enemy were known to be close
at hand, and the French selected the position on which
they would fight. The village of Fontenoy had
already been occupied by a strong body of troops under
Marshal Noailles, and the rest of the army now moved
forward to the posts allotted to them. The English
army were close at hand, and it was certain that the
battle would be fought on the morrow. In the evening
the king held a grand reception at which all the officers
of rank were present. When Colonel Hume returned
to his camp his officers were still sitting round
the fire.
“Have you any news for us, sir?”
“No; I believe everything stands as was arranged.
The king is in the highest spirits, though I must
say his majesty did not choose reminiscences of a
nature to encourage those who heard him. He remarked,
for instance, that since the days of St. Louis the
French had never gained a decisive success over the
English, and a few minutes later he observed that
the last time a king of France with his son had fought
at the head of the French army was at the battle of
Poictiers.”
There was a general laugh.
