The Cornet of Horse

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The Cornet of Horse

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Title: The Cornet of Horse A Tale of Marlborough's Wars
Author: G. A. Henty

Release Date: December 27, 2005 [eBook #17403]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
CORNET OF HORSE***
E-text prepared by Martin Robb

THE CORNET OF HORSE:

A Tale of Marlborough's Wars
by
G. A. HENTY.
1914

Contents
Chapter 1
: Windthorpe Chace.
Chapter 2
: Rupert to the Rescue.
Chapter 3
: A Kiss and its Consequences.
Chapter 4
: The Sedan Chair.
Chapter 5
: The Fencing School.
Chapter 6
: The War Of Succession.
Chapter 7

: Venloo.
Chapter 8
: The Old Mill.
Chapter 9
: The Duel.
Chapter 10
: The Battle Of The Dykes.
Chapter 11
: A Death Trap.
Chapter 12
: The Sad Side Of War.
Chapter 13
: Blenheim.
Chapter 14
: The Riot at Dort.
Chapter 15
: The End of a Feud.
Chapter 16
: Ramilies.

Chapter 17
: A Prisoner of War.
Chapter 18
: The Court of Versailles.
Chapter 19
: The Evasion.
Chapter 20
: Loches.
Chapter 21
: Back in Harness.
Chapter 22
: Oudenarde.
Chapter 23
: The Siege of Lille.
Chapter 24
: Adele.
Chapter 25
: Flight and Pursuit.
Chapter 26

: The Siege of Tournai.
Chapter 27
: Malplaquet, and the End of the War.
Chapter 1
: Windthorpe Chace.
"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four--turn to your lady; one, two,
three, four--now deep reverence. Now you take her hand; no, not her
whole hand--the tips of her fingers; now you lead her to her seat; now a
deep bow, so. That will do. You are improving, but you must be more
light, more graceful, more courtly in your air; still you will do.
"Now run away, Mignon, to the garden; you have madam's permission
to gather fruit.
"Now, Monsieur Rupert, we will take our lesson in fencing."
The above speech was in the French language, and the speaker was a
tall, slightly-built man of about fifty years of age. The scene was a long
low room, in a mansion situated some two miles from Derby. The
month was January, 1702, and King William the Third sat upon the
throne. In the room, in addition to the dancing master, were the lad he
was teaching, an active, healthy-looking boy between fifteen and
sixteen; his partner, a bright-faced French girl of some twelve years of
age; and an old man, nearer eighty than seventy, but still erect and
active, who sat in a large armchair, looking on.
By the alacrity with which the lad went to an armoire and took out the
foils, and steel caps with visors which served as fencing masks, it was
clear that he preferred the fencing lesson to the dancing. He threw off
his coat, buttoned a padded guard across his chest, and handing a foil to
his instructor, took his place before him.
"Now let us practise that thrust in tierce after the feint and disengage.

You were not quite so close as you might have been, yesterday. Ha! ha!
that is better. I think that monsieur your grandfather has been giving
you a lesson, and poaching on my manor. Is it not so?"
"Yes," said the old man, "I gave him ten minutes yesterday evening;
but I must give it up. My sword begins to fail me, and your pupil gets
more skillful, and stronger in the wrist, every day. In the days when I
was at Saint Germains with the king, when the cropheads lorded it here,
I could hold my own with the best of your young blades. But even
allowing fully for the stiffness of age, I think I can still gauge the
strength of an opponent, and I think the boy promises to be of premiere
force."
"It is as you say, monsieur le colonel. My pupil is born to be a fencer;
he learns it with all his heart; he has had two good teachers for three
years; he has worked with all his energy at it; and he has one of those
supple strong wrists that seem made for the sword. He presses me hard.
"Now, Monsieur Rupert, open play, and do your best."
Then began a struggle which would have done credit to any fencing
school in Europe. Rupert Holliday was as active