In about ten minutes they reached the ruins of an old chateau; those ruins crowned the summit of a hill which overlooked the surrounding country.  At a distance of hardly a quarter of a league they looked down on Lens, at bay, and before Lens the enemy’s entire army.

With a single glance the prince took in the extent of country that lay before him, from Lens as far as Vimy.  In a moment the plan of the battle which on the following day was to save France the second time from invasion was unrolled in his mind.  He took a pencil, tore a page from his tablets and wrote: 

“My Dear Marshal, —­ In an hour Lens will be in the enemy’s possession.  Come and rejoin me; bring with you the whole army.  I shall be at Vendin to place it in position.  To-morrow we shall retake Lens and beat the enemy.”

Then, turning toward Raoul:  “Go, monsieur,” he said; “ride fast and give this letter to Monsieur de Grammont.”

Raoul bowed, took the letter, went hastily down the mountain, leaped on his horse and set out at a gallop.  A quarter of an hour later he was with the marshal.

A portion of the troops had already arrived and the remainder was expected from moment to moment.  Marshal de Grammont put himself at the head of all the available cavalry and infantry and took the road to Vendin, leaving the Duc de Chatillon to await and bring on the rest.  All the artillery was ready to move, and started off at a moment’s notice.

It was seven o’clock in the evening when the marshal arrived at the appointed place.  The prince awaited him there.  As he had foreseen, Lens had fallen into the hands of the enemy immediately after Raoul’s departure.  The event was announced by the cessation of the firing.

As the shadows of night deepened the troops summoned by the prince arrived in successive detachments.  Orders were given that no drum should be beaten, no trumpet sounded.

At nine o’clock the night had fully come.  Still a last ray of twilight lighted the plain.  The army marched silently, the prince at the head of the column.  Presently the army came in sight of Lens; two or three houses were in flames and a dull noise was heard which indicated what suffering was endured by a town taken by assault.

The prince assigned to every one his post.  Marshal de Grammont was to hold the extreme left, resting on Mericourt.  The Duc de Chatillon commanded the centre.  Finally, the prince led the right wing, resting on Aunay.  The order of battle on the morrow was to be that of the positions taken in the evening.  Each one, on awaking, would find himself on the field of battle.

The movement was executed in silence and with precision.  At ten o’clock every one was in his appointed position; at half-past ten the prince visited the posts and gave his final orders for the following day.

Three things were especially urged upon the officers, who were to see that the soldiers observed them scrupulously:  the first, that the different corps should so march that cavalry and infantry should be on the same line and that each body should protect its gaps; the second, to go to the charge no faster than a walk; the third, to let the enemy fire first.