“I must first take a place for Adele to be married from.  Mademoiselle Adele de Pignerolles must not be married like the daughter of a little bourgeois.  Moreover, Rupert, it is already near the end of the year.  In three months you will be setting out to join your regiment again.  It would be cruel to Adele for you to marry her before the war is over, or until you at any rate have done with soldiering.  You tell me that you have gone through enough, and that the next campaign shall be your last.  At any rate you can obtain a year’s leave after nine years of campaigning.  So be it.  When you return at the end of next year’s campaign you shall find all ready, and I will answer for it that Adele will not keep you waiting.  It is but a fortnight since you were affianced to each other.  You can well wait the year.”

And so it was arranged, for Rupert himself saw that it would be cruel to expose Adele to the risk of being made a widow after a few weeks only of married life.

The winter passed very quietly and happily.  The marquis was always talking of taking a house, but Adele joined her voice with those of the others in saying that it would be cruel indeed for him to take her away from the Chace until it was time for Rupert to start for the war again.

In the middle of March he received orders to join his regiment, as large numbers of recruits had been sent out, and every officer was required at his post.

During the winter of 1708, Marlborough had laboured strenuously to obtain a peace which would satisfy all parties.  Louis offered great concessions, which the duke urged strongly should be accepted; but the English and Dutch wanted terms so severe and humiliating that Louis would not accept them, and both sides prepared for a great final struggle.

The King of France addressed an appeal to his people, telling them that he had offered to make the greatest possible sacrifices to obtain peace for them, but that the enemy demanded terms which would place France at their mercy.  He therefore appealed to their patriotism to come forward to save the country.  The people responded readily to the summons, and Marshal Villars took the field in the spring with 110,000 men, a force just equal to that of the allies.

The French had taken up a position of such extraordinary strength, that it was hopeless for the allies to attempt to attack.  His left wing was covered by the stream of Roubaix; his centre by the marsh of Cambriu; his right by the canal between Douai and Lille; and this naturally strong position had been so strengthened by artificial inundations, ditches, abattis, and earthworks, as to be practically impregnable.

Marlborough and Eugene made, however, as if they would attack, and Villars called to him as many men as could be spared from the garrisons round.  The allies then by a sudden night march arrived before Tournai, and at once commenced its investment.  Tournai was an immensely strong town, but its garrison was weak.  The heavy artillery was brought up from Ghent, and on the 6th of July the approaches were commenced; and on the 29th of that month, the governor, finding that the allies were gradually winning fort after fort, and that Villars made no movement to relieve him, surrendered the town, and retired into the citadel, which was then besieged.