made to give us an idea in miniature of, for example, the battle of Waterloo. . . . Be so good as to take a seat on the bench here,' continued the captain, whose heart was rejoiced at the thought of so intelligent a hearer,' and I shall try to give you in short outline a picture of that momentous and remarkable if it interests you?' 'Many thanks, sir,' answered Cousin Hans; 'nothing could interest me more.'"
II.
THE BATTLE.
Waterloo is an old story; but I must give it, as our poor good-natured captain did, in order to bring out the great passage to which I have alluded:
"The captain took up a position in a corner of the ramparts, a few paces from the bench, whence he could point all around him with a stick. Cousin Hans followed what he said closely, and took all possible trouble to ingratiate himself with his future father-in-law. 'We will suppose, then, that I am standing here, at the farm of Belle-Alliance, where the Emperor has his headquarters; and to the north fourteen miles from Waterloo-we have Brussels, that is to say, just about at the corner of the gymnastic school. The road there along the rampart is the highway leading to Brussels, and here' (the captain rushed over the plain of Waterloo), 'here in the grass we have the Forest of Soignies. On the highway to Brussels, and in front of the forest, the English
