"And think you that he will reach Wrangel in time?"

"He hopes so, sir. He sent off a messenger before starting, with
orders to buy fresh horses at all cost at each halting place, to
carry the news as quickly as possible to Wrangel that he was on
his way to join him, and imploring him to intrench himself in some
strong position until he should come up.

"How long hence will that be?"

"The march will be pressed forward with all speed, your eminence,
with such delays only as may be needed to keep the horses in such
a state that they may be ready for fighting as soon as they join the
Swedes. He hopes to be there in a month from the day of starting."

"And in the meantime," Mazarin said, "France is open to invasion.
He says, indeed, that the Imperialists would hardly venture to
march hitherward, as thereby they in turn would leave it open to
him and the Swedes to march into the heart of Austria."

"Assuredly that is so, sir. The archduke will hardly get news that
Marshal Turenne has moved until he has been some ten or twelve
days on his march, and even when he hears it he will not know in
what direction he has gone, but may think it likely that he either
intends to seize Luxembourg or to reinforce your army in Flanders.
By the time they discover his true object he will be within a week's
march of the Swedes, possibly less than that. It will be too late
for them then to think of marching to the Rhine. If they consider
themselves strong enough to fight the marshal and the Swedes together,
they will do so at once; if they fear to give battle, still more