"Oh, here you are, lieutenant!" he said, as his eye fell on Hector;
"I was afraid that punctuality was not among your virtues. Gentlemen,
this is Lieutenant Hector Campbell, son of a brave officer of the
Scottish regiment who fell at La Rochelle; he is, for the present,
attached to my household, and will ride with us for Italy the day
after tomorrow. Campbell, this gentleman is Colonel d'Estampes,
who is the head of my staff; this Major Mutton, who will have
the control of all matters connected with the artillery; these are
Messieurs de Lisle and Emile de Chavigny, who are my aides-de-camp.
Now, gentlemen, let us mount."

As the Scottish regiment was a mounted one, Hector had had ample
opportunities to learn to ride well, and he now fell in with the
two aides-de-camp, who were both young men of eighteen or nineteen
years of age, members of good families, and together they followed
the Viscount Turenne, who rode on ahead with the two staff officers.
While they were making their way through the narrow streets of
Paris they rode but slowly, but as soon as they passed through
the gates they went on at a brisk pace.

"You are fortunate," de Lisle said, "in having obtained a commission
so young, although I do not say that there are not many of similar
age in the army."

"I am fortunate indeed," Hector replied, "fortunate beyond anything
that I could have believed possible, thanks to the goodness of
Viscount Turenne."

"You could not enter the army under better patronage," de Chavigny