“You, Monsieur Kennedy, have again shown that you possess unusual shrewdness, as well as daring.

“What think you, Duke, of this young subaltern, who is, we may tell you, the hero of whom you have doubtless heard, who twice rescued Mademoiselle de Pointdexter from the hands of her abductor?”

“I was told the story yesterday, Sire, and was filled with admiration at the boldness and resource of her rescuer, who was, I heard, an ensign in O’Brien’s regiment; but certainly I did not expect to find him so young a man.  He has, indeed, a fertility of invention that fills me with surprise.  The other officers deserve praise, for having so willingly followed the leadership of their junior, and their generosity in assigning to him the whole merit of their undertaking is highly commendable.  It is no easy thing, Sire, to find in young officers—­especially, if I may say so, among the cadets of good family, who form for the most part the staff of your generals—­men ready to exercise their own discretion when in difficulties, and to carry out with due diligence the orders committed to them.”

“O’Brien’s regiment has marched to the northern frontier.  The vacancies in the ranks of its officers have been filled up from those of other regiments.  I should, with Your Majesty’s permission, be glad to take these three officers on my own staff, as, leaving Spain privately in accordance with Your Majesty’s orders, I have brought with me only Captain Fromart, my secretary, and one young aide-de-camp.  I should be glad if you would promote Mr. Kennedy to the rank of lieutenant.”

“We quite approve of both requests,” the king said graciously; “and indeed,” he added with a smile, “shall not be altogether sorry to see Lieutenant Kennedy employed outside our kingdom, for, after making war on his own account with one of our nobles, and kidnapping the first minister of England, there is no saying what enterprise he might next undertake.  And should he join any of those who trouble the country with their plots, we should feel compelled to double our guards, in order to hold ourself secure from his designs.

“Well, gentlemen, since the Duke of Berwick has appointed you his aides-de-camp, the least we can do is to see that you are properly fitted out for the expedition.  You have, of course, lost your uniforms, horses, and money in our service, and it is but just that we should see to your being refitted.  If you will wait in the anteroom, you shall each receive an order on our treasury for a hundred louis d’ors.”

The three officers bowed deeply in acknowledgment to the king, and, bowing also to the Duke of Berwick, returned to the anteroom, where presently one of the royal attendants brought to them the three orders on the treasury, and also begged them, in the name of the Duke of Berwick, to wait until his audience with the king should be over.

They were all highly delighted with the change in their position.  The posts of staff officers were, as the duke had said, considered to belong almost of right to members of noble families, and it was seldom that officers of the line could aspire to them.