Bonnie Prince Charlie : a Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden

  CHAPTER V: Dettingen.

  After walking two or three miles Malcolm and Ronald came upon the rear ofa train of waggons which had set out from Paris an hour earlier. Enteringinto conversation with one of the drivers they found that the convoy wasbound for the frontier with ammunition and supplies for the army.

  "This is fortunate," Malcolm said; "for to tell you the truth, Ronald, Ihave looked forward to our meeting with a good many difficulties by theway. We have no passes or permits to travel, and should be suspected ofbeing either deserters or thieves. We came down from the north easyenough; but there they are more accustomed to the passage of travellersto or from the coast. Going east our appearance if alone would be sure toincite comment and suspicion. It is hard if among the soldiers with theconvoy I do not know someone who has friends in the old regiment. At anyrate we can offer to make ourselves useful in case of any of the driversfalling ill or deserting by the way."

  As they walked along towards the head of the long line of waggons Malcolmclosely scrutinized the troopers who formed the escort, but most of themwere young soldiers, and he therefore went on without accosting themuntil he reached the head of the column. Here two officers were ridingtogether, a captain and a young lieutenant. Malcolm saluted the former.

  "I am an old soldier of the 2d Regiment of Scottish Calvary, and am goingwith my young friend here, who has relations in the regiment, to jointhem. Will you permit us, sir, to journey with your convoy? We are ready,if needs be, to make ourselves useful in case any of your drivers aremissing, no uncommon thing, as I know, on a long journey."

  The officer asked a few questions about his services, and said: "Whathave you been doing since you left, as you say, fourteen years ago?"

  "I have been in Scotland, sir. I took this lad, who was then an infant,home to my people, having had enough of soldiering, while my brother, hisfather, remained with the regiment. We do not know whether he is alive ordead, but if the former the lad wants to join as a trumpeter, and whenold enough to fight in the ranks."

  "Very well," the officer said. "You can march along with us, and if anyof these fellows desert you shall take their places, and of course drawtheir pay."

  It was a short time indeed before Malcolm's services were called intorequisition, for the very first night several of the drivers, who hadbeen pressed into the service, managed to elude the vigilance of theguard and slipped away.

  The next morning Malcolm, with Ronald as his assistant, took charge ofone of the heavy waggons, loaded with ammunition, and drawn by twelvehorses.

  "This is better than walking after all, Ronald. In the first place itsaves the legs, and in the second one is partly out of the dust."

  "But I think we should get on faster walking, Malcolm."

  "Yes, if we had no stoppages. But then, you see, as we have no papers wemight be detained for weeks by some pig headed official in a littlecountry town; besides, we are sure to push on as fast as we can, for theywill want the ammunition before a battle is fought. And after all a fewdays won't make much difference to us; the weather is fine, and thejourney will not be unpleasant."

  In fact Ronald enjoyed the next three weeks greatly as the train ofwaggons made its way across the plains of Champagne, and then on throughthe valleys of Lorraine and Alsace until it reached Strasbourg. Malcolmhad speedily made friends with some of the soldiers of the escort, and ofan evening when the day's work was over he and Ronald sat with them bythe fires they made by the roadside, and Malcolm told tales of thecampaigns in which he had been engaged, and the soldiers sang songs andchatted over the probabilities of the events of the war. None of them hadserved before, having been but a few months taken from their homes invarious parts of France. But although, doubtless, many had at firstregretted bitterly being dragged away to the wars, they were now allreconciled to their lot, and looked forward eagerly to joining theirregiment, which was at the front, when the duty of looking after theconvoy would be at an end.

  Little was known in Paris as to the position of the contending armiesbeyond the fact that Lord Stair, who commanded the English army, sixteenthousand strong, which had for the last year been lying inactive inFlanders, had marched down with his Hanoverian allies towards the Maine,and that the Duc de Noailles with sixty thousand men was lying beyond theRhine. But at Strasbourg they learned that the French army had marchednorth to give battle to Lord Stair, who had at present with him buttwenty-eight thousand men, and was waiting to be joined by twelvethousand Hanoverians and Hessians who were on their way.

  The convoy continued its journey, pushing forward with all speed, and onthe 26th of July joined the army of De Noailles. The French were on thesouth side of the river, but having arrived on its banks before theEnglish they had possession of the bridges. As soon as the waggons hadjoined the army, Malcolm obtained from the officer commanding the escorta discharge, saying that he and Ronald had fulfilled their engagement asdrivers with the waggons to the front, and were now at liberty to returnto France.

  "Now we are our own masters again, Ronald," Malcolm said. "I have takenpart in a good many battles, but have never yet had the opportunity oflooking on at one comfortably. De Noailles should lose no time inattacking, so as to destroy the English before they receive theirreinforcements. As he holds the bridges he can bring on the battle whenhe likes, and I think that tomorrow or next day the fight will takeplace."

  It was known in the camp that evening that the English had establishedtheir chief magazines at Hanau, and were marching up the river towardsAschaffenburg. In the early morning a portion of the French troopscrossed the river at that town, and took up a strong position there.Ronald and Malcolm climbed a hill looking down upon the river from thesouth side, and thence commanded the view of the ground across which theEnglish were marching. On the eastern side of the river spurs of theSpessart Mountains came down close to its bank, inclosing a narrow flatbetween Aschaffenburg and Dettingen. At the latter place the heightsapproached so closely to the river as to render it difficult for an armyto pass between them. While posting a strong force at Aschaffenburg tohold the passage across a stream running into the Maine there, DeNoailles marched his main force down the river; these movements werehidden by the nature of the ground from the English, who were advancingunconscious of their danger towards Dettingen.

  "De Noailles will have them in a trap," Malcolm said, for from theirposition on the hill they could see the whole ground on the further bank,Hanau lying some seven miles beyond Dettingen, which was itself less thanseven miles from Aschaffenburg.

  "I am afraid so," Ronald said.

  "Afraid!" Malcolm repeated. "Why, you should rejoice, Ronald."

  "I can't do that," Ronald replied. "I should like to see the Stuartsinstead of the Hanoverians reigning over us; but after all, Malcolm,England and Scotland are one nation."

  "But there are Scotch regiments with the French army, and a brigade ofIrish."

  "That may be," Ronald said. "Scotchmen who have got into politicaltrouble at home may enter the service of France, and may fight heartilyagainst the Germans or the Flemings, or other enemies of France; but Iknow that I should feel very reluctant to fight against the English army,except, of course, at home for the Stuarts."

  "It will benefit the Stuarts' cause if the English are defeated here,"Malcolm said.

  "That may be or it may not," Ronald replied. "You yourself told me thatLouis cared nothing for the Stuarts, and would only aid them in order tocripple the English strength at home. Therefore, if he destroys theEnglish army here he will have less cause to fear England and so lessmotive for helping the Chevalier."

  "That is true enough," Malcolm agreed. "You are fast becoming apolitician, Ronald. Well, I will look on as a neutral then, because,although the English are certainly more nearly my countrymen than are theFrench, you must remember that for twelve years I fought under the Frenchflag. However, there can be no doubt what is going to take place. See,the dark mass of the English army are passing through the defile ofDettingen, and the French ha
ve begun to cross at Seligenstadt in theirrear. See, they are throwing three or four bridges across the riverthere."

  In utter ignorance of their danger the English marched on along thenarrow plain by the river bank towards Aschaffenburg.

  "Look at their cavalry scouting ahead of them," Malcolm said. "There, theFrench are opening fire!" And as he spoke puffs of musketry rose up fromthe line of the stream held by the French.

  The English cavalry galloped back, but the columns of infantry stilladvanced until within half a mile of the French position, and were therehalted, while some guns from the French lines opened fire. The bridges atSeligenstadt were now completed, and masses of troops could be seenpouring over. King George and the Duke of Cumberland had joined the Earlof Stair just as the army passed through Dettingen, and were riding atthe head of the column when the French fire opened. A short time wasspent in reconnoitring the position of the enemy in front. The Englishbelieved that the entire French army was there opposed to them, and thatthe advance of the army into Franconia, which was its main objective wastherefore barred. After a short consultation it was resolved to fall backat once upon the magazines at Hanau, which, from their ignorance of thenear proximity of the French, had been left but weakly guarded. Believingthat as they fell back they would be hotly pursued by the French army,the king took the command of the rear as the post of danger, and thecolumns, facing about, marched towards Dettingen.

  But the French had been beforehand with them. De Noailles had sent 23,000men under his nephew the Duke de Grammont across the river to occupyDettingen. He himself with his main army remained on the south side, withhis artillery placed so as to fire across the river upon the flank of theEnglish as they approached Dettingen; while he could march up and crossat Aschaffenburg should the English, after being beaten back atDettingen, try to retreat up the river.

  De Grammont's position was a very strong one behind a swamp and a deepravine hollowed out by a stream from the hill. There seemed nopossibility of escape for the English army, who were as yet absolutely inignorance of the position of the French. As the head of the columnapproached Dettingen, Grammont's artillery opened upon them in front,while that of De Noailles smote them in flank. As soon as the king foundthat his retreat was cut off he galloped from the rear of the column toits head. His horse, alarmed by the fire of the artillery and whistlingof balls, ran away with him, and was with difficulty stopped just as hereached the head of the column. He at once dismounted and announced hisintention of leading his troops on foot.

  There was a hasty council held between him, Lord Stair, and the Duke ofCumberland, and it was agreed that the only escape from entiredestruction was by fighting their way through the force now in front ofthem. This would indeed have been impossible had De Grammont held hisposition; but when that officer saw the English troops halt he believedhe had only the advanced guard in front of him, and resolving tooverwhelm these before their main body arrived, he abandoned his strongposition, led the troops across the swamp, and charged the English infront.

  De Noailles, from the opposite bank, seeing the error his nephew hadmade, hurried his troops towards the bridges in order to cross the riverand render him assistance; but it was too late.

  The English infantry, headed by the king in person, hurled themselvesupon the troops of De Grammont.

  Every man felt that the only hope of escape from this trap into whichthey had fallen lay in cutting their way through the enemy, and sofuriously did they fight that De Grammont's troops were utterlyoverthrown, and were soon in full flight towards the bridges in the rear,hotly pursued by the English. Before they could reach the bridges theyleft behind them on the field six thousand killed and wounded. KingGeorge, satisfied with his success, and knowing that the French army wasstill greatly superior to his own, wisely determined to get out of hisdangerous position as soon as possible, and pushed on that night toHanau.

  Although Malcolm and Ronald were too far off to witness the incidents ofthe battle, they made out the tide of war rolling away from them, and sawthe black masses of troops pressing on through Dettingen in spite of theFrench artillery which thundered from the opposite bank of the river.

  "They have won!" Ronald said, throwing up his cap. "Hurrah, Malcolm!Where is the utter destruction of the English now? See, the plain beyondDettingen is covered by a confused mass of flying men. The English havebroken out of the trap, and instead of being crushed have won a greatvictory."

  "It looks like it certainly," Malcolm said. "I would not have believed itif I had not seen it; their destruction seemed certain. And now let us goround to the camp again."

  On their way down Malcolm said:

  "I think, on the whole, Ronald, that you are perhaps right, and theFrench defeat will do good rather than harm to the Stuart cause. Had theyconquered, Louis would have been too intent on pushing forward his ownschemes to care much for the Stuarts. He has no real interest in them,and only uses them as cat's paws to injure England. If he had beaten theEnglish and Hanoverians he would not have needed their aid. As it is, itseems likely enough that he will try to create a diversion, and keep theEnglish busy at home by aiding the Stuarts with men and money to make alanding in Scotland."

  "In that case, Malcolm, we need not grieve over the defeat today. Youknow my sympathies are with the brave Empress of Austria rather than withher enemies, and this defeat should go far towards seating her securelyon the throne. Now, what will you do, Malcolm? Shall we try and find myfather's friends at once?"

  "Nor for another few days," Malcolm said. "Just after a defeat men arenot in the best mood to discuss bygone matters. Let us wait and see whatis done next."

  The next morning a portion of the French army which had not been engagedcrossed the river and collected the French and English wounded, for thelatter had also been left behind. They were treated by the French withthe same care and kindness that was bestowed upon their own wounded. DeNoailles was about to advance against the English at Hanau, when hereceived the news that the French army in Bavaria had been beaten back byPrince Charles, and had crossed the Rhine into Alsace. As he would now beexposed to the whole brunt of the attack of the allies he decided toretreat at once.

  The next day the retreat recommenced. Many of the drivers had fled at thefirst news of the defeat, and Malcolm without question assumed the postof driver of one of the abandoned teams. For another week the armyretired, and then crossing the Rhine near Worms were safe from pursuit.

  "Now, Ronald, I will look up the old regiment, and we will see what is tobe done."

  The 2d Scotch Dragoons were posted in a little village a mile distantfrom the main camp which had now been formed. Malcolm did nor make anyformal transfer of the waggon to the authorities, thinking it by no meansimprobable that they would insist upon his continuing his self adoptedavocation as driver; but after seeing to the horses, which were picketedwith a long line of transport animals, he and Ronald walked quietly awaywithout any ceremony of adieu.

  "We must not come back again here," he said, "for some of the teamsterswould recognize me as having been driving lately, and I should have hardwork to prove that I was not a deserter; we must take to the old regimentnow as long as we are here."

  On reaching the village they found the street full of troopers, who werebusy engaged in cleaning their arms, grooming their horses, and removingall signs of weather and battle. Ronald felt a thrill of pleasure athearing his native language spoken. He had now so far improved theknowledge of French as to be able to converse without difficulty, forMalcolm had from his childhood tried to keep up his French, and hadlately always spoken in that language to him, unless it was necessary tospeak in English in order to make him understand.

  These occasions had become more and more rare, and two months of constantconversation with Malcolm and others had enabled Ronald by this time tospeak with some fluency in the French tongue. None of the soldiers paidany attention to the newcomers, whose dress differed in no way from thatof Frenchmen, as after the shipwreck they had, of co
urse, been obliged torig themselves out afresh. Malcolm stopped before an old sergeant who wasdiligently polishing his sword hilt.

  "And how fares it with you all these years, Angus Graeme?"

  The sergeant almost dropped his sword in his surprise at being soaddressed in his own tongue by one whose appearance betokened him aFrenchman.

  "You don't know me, Angus," Malcolm went on with a smile; "and yet youought to, for if it hadn't been for me the sword of the German hussar whocarved that ugly scar across your cheek would have followed it up byputting an end to your soldiering altogether."

  "Heart alive, but it's Malcolm Anderson! Eh, man, but I am glad to seeyou! I thought you were dead years ago, for I have heard nae mair of yousince the day when you disappeared from among us like a spook, the sameday that puir Colonel Leslie was hauled off to the Bastille. A sair daywas that for us a'! And where ha' ye been all the time?"

  "Back at home, Angus, at least in body, for my heart's been with the oldregiment. And who, think you, is this? But you must keep a close mouth,man, for it must nor be talked of. This is Leslie's son. By his father'slast order I took him off to Scotland with me to be out of reach of hisfoes, and now I have brought him back again to try if between us we cangain any news of his father."

  "You don't say so, Malcolm! I never as much heard that the colonel had ason, though there was some talk in the regiment that he had married agreat lady, and that it was for that that he had been hid away in prison.And this is Leslie's boy! Only to think, now! Well, young sir, thereisn't a man in the regiment but wad do his best for your father's son,for those who have joined us since, and in truth that's the great part ofus, have heard many a tale of Colonel Leslie, though they may not haveserved under him, and not a tale but was to his honour, for a braverofficer nor a kinder one never stepped the earth. But come inside,Malcolm. I have got a room to myself and a stoup of good wine; let's talkover things fair and gentle, and when I know what it is that you want youmay be sure that I will do all I can, for the sake baith of the coloneland of you, auld comrade."

  The trio were soon seated in the cottage, and Malcolm then gave a shortsketch of all that had taken place since he had left the regiment.

  "Well, well!" the sergeant said when he had ended; "and so the lad, youngas he is, has already drawn his sword for the Stuarts, and takes afterhis father in loyalty as well as in looks, for now that I know who he isI can see his father's face in his plain enough; and now for your plans,Malcolm."

  "Our plans must be left to chance, Angus. We came hither to see whetherany of the colonel's friends are still in the regiment, and to learn fromthem whether they have any news whatever of him; and secondly, whetherthey can tell us aught of his mother."

  "Ay, there are six or eight officers still in the regiment who servedwith him. Hume is our colonel now; you will remember him, Malcolm, well,for he was captain of our troop; and Major Macpherson was a captain too.Then there are Oliphant, and Munroe, and Campbell, and Graham, all ofwhom were young lieutenants in your time, and are now old captains oftroops."

  "I will see the colonel and Macpherson," Malcolm said; "if they do notknow, the younger men are not likely to. Will you go along with us,Angus, and introduce me, though Hume is like enough to remember me,seeing that I was so much with Leslie?"

  "They will be dining in half an hour," the sergeant said; "we'll go afterthey have done the meal. It's always a good time to talk with men whenthey are full, and the colonel will have no business to disturb him then.Our own dinner will be ready directly; I can smell a goose that I pickedup, as it might be by accident, at the place where we halted last night.There are four or five of us old soldiers who always mess together whenwe are not on duty with our troops, and if I mistake not, you will knowevery one of them, and right glad they will be to see you; but of courseI shall say no word as to who the lad is, save that he is a friend ofyours."

  A few minutes later four other sergeants dropped in, and there was ajoyful greeting between them and Malcolm as soon as they recognized hisidentity. The meal was a jovial one, as old jokes and old reminiscenceswere recalled. After an hour's sitting Angus said:

  "Pass round the wine, lads, till we come back again. I am taking Andersonto the colonel, who was captain of his troop. We are not likely to belong, and when we come back we will make a night of it in honour of oldtimes, or I am mistaken."

  On leaving the cottage they waited for a while until they saw the coloneland major rise from beside the fire round which, with the other officers,they had been taking their meal, and walk to the cottage which theyshared between them. Angus went up and saluted.

  "What is it, Graeme?" the colonel asked.

  "There's one here who would fain have a talk with you. It is MalcolmAnderson, whom you may remember as puir Colonel Leslie's servant, and asbeing in your own troop, and he has brought one with him concerning whomhe will speak to you himself."

  "Of course I remember Anderson," the colonel said. "He was devoted toLeslie. Bring him in at once. What can have brought him out here againafter so many years? Been getting into some trouble at home, I suppose?He was always in some scrape or other when he was in the regiment, for,though he was a good soldier, he was as wild and reckless a blade as anyin the regiment. You remember him, Macpherson?"

  "Yes, I remember him well," the major said. "The colonel was very fond ofhim, and regarded him almost as a brother."

  A minute later Angus ushered Malcolm and Ronald into the presence of thetwo officers, who had now taken seats in the room which served as kitchenand sitting room to the cottage, which was much the largest in thevillage.

  "Well, Anderson, I am glad to see you again," Colonel Hume said, risingand holding out his hand. "We have often spoken of you since the day youdisappeared, saying that you were going on a mission for the colonel, andhave wondered what the mission was, and how it was that we never heard ofyou again."

  "I came over to Paris four years later, colonel, but the regiment wasaway in Flanders, and as I found out from others what I had come tolearn, there was no use in my following you. As to the colonel's mission,it was this;" and he put his hand on Ronald's shoulder.

  "What do you mean, Anderson?" the colonel asked in surprise.

  "This is Colonel Leslie's son, sir. He bade me fetch him straight awayfrom the folk with whom he was living and take him off to Scotland so asto be out of reach of his foes, who would doubtless have made evenshorter work with him than they did with the colonel."

  "Good heavens!" the colonel exclaimed; "this is news indeed. So poorLeslie left a child and this is he! My lad," he said, taking Ronald'shand, "believe me that anything that I can do for you, whatever it be,shall be done, for the sake of your dear father, whom I loved as an elderbrother."

  "And I too," the major said. "There was not one of us but would havefought to the death for Leslie. And now sit down, my lad, while Andersontells us your story."

  Malcolm began at the account of the charge which Colonel Leslie hadcommitted to him, and the manner in which he had fulfilled it. He toldthem how he had placed the child in the care of his brother, he himselfhaving no fixed home of his own, and how the lad had received a solideducation, while he had seen to his learning the use of his sword, sothat he might be able to follow his father's career. He then told themthe episode of the Jacobite agent, and the escape which had been effectedin the Thames.

  "You have done well, Anderson," the colonel said when he had concluded;"and if ever Leslie should come to see his son he will have cause tothank you, indeed, for the way in which you have carried out the chargehe committed to you, and he may well be pleased at seeing him grown upsuch a manly young fellow. As to Leslie himself, we know not whether hebe alive or dead. Every interest was made at the time to assuage hismajesty's hostility, but the influence of the Marquis of Recambours wastoo strong, and the king at last peremptorily forbade Leslie's name beingmentioned before him. You see, although the girl's father was, of course,at liberty to bestow her hand on whomsoever he pleased, he had, with
thetoadyism of a courtier, asked the king's approval of the match withChateaurouge, which, as a matter of course, he received. His majesty,therefore, chose to consider it as a personal offence against himselfthat this Scottish soldier of fortune should carry off one of the richestheiresses of France, whose hand he had himself granted to one of hispeers. At the same rime I cannot but think that Leslie still lives, forhad he been dead we should assuredly have heard of the marriage of hiswidow with some one else. The duke has, of course, long since married,and report says that the pair are ill-matched; but another husband wouldspeedily have been found for the widow."

  "Since the duke has married," Ronald said, "he should no longer be sobitter against my father, and perhaps after so long an imprisonment theking might be moved to grant his release."

  "As the duke's marriage is an unhappy one, I fear that you cannot countupon his hostility to your father being in any way lessened, as he wouldall the more regret the interference with his former plans."

  "Have you any idea where my mother is, sir?"

  "None," the colonel said. "But that I might find out for you. I will giveyou a letter to the Count de Noyes, who is on intimate terms with theArchbishop of Paris, who would, no doubt, be able to tell him in whichconvent the lady is residing. You must not be too sanguine, my poor boy,of seeing her, for it is possible that she has already taken the veil.Indeed, if your father has died, and she has still refused to accept anysuitor whom the marquis may have found for her, you may be sure that shehas been compelled to take the veil, as her estates would then revert tothe nearest kinsman. This may, for aught we know, have happened yearsago, without a word of it being bruited abroad, and the affair only knownto those most concerned. However, we must look at the best side. We shallbe able, doubtless, to learn through the archbishop whether she is stillmerely detained in the convent or has taken the veil, and you can thenjudge accordingly whether your father is likely to be alive or dead. Butas to your obtaining an interview with your mother, I regard it asimpossible in the one case as the other.

  "At any rate it is of the highest importance that it should not be knownthat you are in France. If it is proved that your father is dead and yourmother is secluded for life, we must then introduce you to her family,and try and get them to bring all their influence to bear to have youacknowledged openly as the legitimate heir of the marquis, and to obtainfor you the succession to at least a portion of his estates--say tothat of those which she brought him as her dowry. In this you may be surethat I and every Scottish gentleman in the army will give you all the aidand influence we can bring to bear."

  Ronald warmly thanked Colonel Hume for his kindness, and the next day,having received the letter to the Count de Noyes, set out for Paris withMalcolm. On his arrival there he lost no time in calling upon the count,and presenting his letter of introduction.

  The count read it through twice without speaking.

  "My friend Colonel Hume," he said at last, "tells me that you are theson, born in lawful wedlock, of Colonel Leslie and Amelie de Recambours.I am aware of the circumstances of the case, being distantly related tothe lady's family, and will do that which Colonel Hume asks me, namely,discover the convent in which she is living. But I warn you, young man,that your position here is a dangerous one, and that were it known thatColonel Leslie's son is alive and in France, I consider your life wouldnot be worth a day's purchase. When powerful people are interested in theremoval of anyone not favoured with powerful protection the matter iseasily arranged. There are hundreds of knives in Paris whose use can bepurchased for a few crowns, of if seclusion be deemed better thanremoval, a king's favourite can always obtain a lettre-de-cachet, and aman may linger a lifetime in prison without a soul outside the wallsknowing of his existence there.

  "You are an obstacle to the plans of a great noble, and that is in Francea fatal offence. Your wisest course, young man, would be to effaceyourself, to get your friend Colonel Hume to obtain for you a commissionin his regiment, and to forget for ever that you are the son of ColonelLeslie and Amelie de Recambours. However, in that you will doubtlesschoose for yourself; but believe me my advice is good. At any rate I willdo what my friend Colonel Hume asks me, and will obtain for you the nameof the convent where your mother is living. I do not see that you will beany the better off when you have it, for assuredly you will nor be ableto obtain permission to see her. However, that again is your affair. Ifyou will give me the address where you are staying in Paris I will writeto you as soon as I obtain the information. Do not be impatient, thearchbishop himself may be in ignorance on the point; but I doubt not,that to oblige me, he will obtain the information from the right quarter.

  A week later, Ronald, on returning one day to Le Soldat Ecossais, found anote awaiting him. It contained only the words:

  "She has not taken the veil; she is at the convent of Our Lady at Tours."

  The next morning Ronald and Malcolm set out on their journey to Tours.