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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert W. Messler, Jr., Ph.D., is a recipient of numerous awards for teaching materials, welding, joining,
and design at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He practiced engineering for 16 years in industry, and
then for 7 years he served as Technical Director of RPI’s world-renowned Center for Manufacturing
Productivity. Dr. Messler has authored five other technical books and is a fellow of both ASM
International and the American Welding Society.
This page intentionally left blank
 Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CHAPTER 1 Engineers as Problem Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CHAPTER 2 Problem-Solving Skills versus Process versus Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

PART ONE Mathematical Approaches to Problem-Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

CHAPTER 3 Using Equations (Plug-and-Chug) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CHAPTER 4 Approximating and Estimating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CHAPTER 5 Interpolating and Extrapolating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
CHAPTER 6 Checking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
CHAPTER 7 Dimensional Analysis and Reconciling Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
CHAPTER 8 Using Similarity and Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
CHAPTER 9 Using Indexes or Indices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
CHAPTER 10 Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
CHAPTER 11 Sensitivity Analysis (of Parameters) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
CHAPTER 12 Response Curves and Surfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CHAPTER 13 Numerical Analysis and Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
CHAPTER 14 Dimensionless Quantities or Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
CHAPTER 15 Assumptions, Constraints, Conditions, and Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

PART TWO Physical/Mechanical Approaches to Problem-Solving . . . . . . . . . 125

CHAPTER 16 Reverse Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
CHAPTER 17 Material Property Correlations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
CHAPTER 18 Proof-of-Concept Models. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
CHAPTER 19 Experimental Models and Model Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
CHAPTER 20 Test Models and Model Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
CHAPTER 21 Mock-ups and Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
CHAPTER 22 Prototypes and Rapid Prototyping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
CHAPTER 23 Trial and Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

PART THREE Visual, Graphic, or Iconic Approaches to Problem-Solving . . . 169

CHAPTER 24 Sketching and Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
CHAPTER 25 Tracings and Transfers, Templates, Lofting and Lines-Taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
CHAPTER 26 Graphing and Graphical Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
CHAPTER 27 Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
CHAPTER 28 Flow Diagrams and Flowcharts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

ix
x Contents

CHAPTER 29 Causal Diagrams or Cause-and-Effect Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

CHAPTER 30 Decision Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

PART FOUR Conceptual or Abstract Approaches to Problem-Solving . . . . . 215

CHAPTER 31 Brainstorming: Process, Methodology, and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
CHAPTER 32 Using Analogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
CHAPTER 33 Dissecting Problems: Decoupling and Coupling, Zooming In
and Zooming Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
CHAPTER 34 Working Problems Backward and Inverse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
CHAPTER 35 Functional Analysis and Black Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
CHAPTER 36 Morphological Analysis and Morphological Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
CHAPTER 37 Storyboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
CHAPTER 38 Iteration and the Iterative Design Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Closing Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
 Preface

Inhabitants of our planet have been faced with problems that need to be overcome since they first
walked erect . . . and, perhaps, before. Even many of our fellow creatures are faced with problems that
have to be overcome, from building a nest, den, or lair, to finding and securing food, to fording streams,
crossing swampy ground, or surviving storms. But human beings have distinguished themselves as
problem solvers from time immemorial. From the “architects” (actually, engineers) who designed and
built the Great Pyramids at Giza to the myriad of engineers of many disciplines who allowed a man to
plant an American flag on the Moon before returning safely to Earth, mind-boggling problems—that
most of these people would have referred to as “challenges,” as opposed to problems, in their optimistic
outlook—had to be overcome by a combination of ingenuity, creativity, agility, and versatility.
While a formal education in the sciences, mathematics, and basics of engineering (statics, dynamics,
fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, kinetics, heat transfer, electronics, etc.), followed by discipline-
specific required and elective courses, is necessary for a young person to become an engineer, this is
not sufficient. To become a real engineer, one needs to “marinate” in engineering by working with and
among other engineers, technicians, and skilled crafts- and tradespersons, learning the techniques of
problem-solving that were probably not explicitly taught, if they were even mentioned, in engineering
school. It is knowledge of these techniques that allows one to both solve a problem and, in the
longer haul, approach problem-solving with confidence. Knowing what to do to solve a problem is
empowering, while solving the problem is often only momentarily fulfilling.
It is the premise of this book, which the author derived from more than 25 years as an “engineer
who teaches,” that simply being given innumerable problems within courses to solve in a variety of
subject areas may not enlighten the student with recognition of the technique that was employed to allow
success. After all, it is a stark reality that an engineering student’s first objective is to survive engineering
school. His or her second objective—despite what professional educators and parents, alike, desire—is
learning for the long haul. Even more significant may be that faculty in modern engineering schools
or colleges build careers on the success of their research and fulfill an essential need by teaching what
they know best. What they know best is, of course, their area of specialization, on which their research
is based. Fewer and fewer of those who enter an academic career in engineering do so from a former
position as a practicing engineer. Rather, more and more, they do so either directly from graduate school
or through a carefully structured set of experiences as researchers (e.g., graduate research assistants,
postdocs, tenure-track/tenured faculty). Thus, the reality is, fewer and fewer of those charged with
teaching engineering actually practiced engineering; that is, they never “marinated” in engineering.
Not surprisingly, therefore, fewer and fewer are explicitly aware of the variety of techniques by which
real-world problems can be solved—beyond mathematical approaches based largely on “plug-and-chug”
manipulations of equations using given values to arrive at a closed-ended solution.
This book is intended to end this situation—to attempt to shortcut the process of gaining the self-
confidence that comes with having a diverse set of powerful tools and techniques by which problems
can be approached and solved. By putting more than 50 tried-and-true techniques in writing, organized
into mathematical approaches, physical/mechanical approaches, visual/graphic approaches, and abstract/
conceptual approaches, and by illustrative examples of how each technique can be used, the young
engineer-to-be or young engineer new to practice is made patently aware of how to solve problems.
To keep what could easily become tedium from closing off one’s mind, if not making one close the

xi
xii Preface

book, the writing style is kept as comfortable and conversational as possible. But readability doesn’t
sacrifice technical accuracy or sophistication. Throughout the book, the author has interspersed what he
hopes are enlightening and fun historical contexts and anecdotes. Likewise, each chapter contains figures
that attempt to be visually striking as much as enlightening and tables that either summarize or support
key concepts.
Most important, it is the author’s sincere hope that readers will find this a joy-filled journey, as much
as or more than simply another important technical book. Get ready to see the myriad of timeless and
time-tested techniques used by our proud forbearers in engineering, and enjoy the journey.

Robert W. Messler, Jr.

 Engineering
Problem-Solving
101
This page intentionally left blank
Introduction
This page intentionally left blank
 C HA P T E R 1

Engineers as Problem Solvers

A problem is defined as “a question or situation that presents uncertainty, perplexity, or difficulty.”1

For as long as human beings have existed, we have, as a species, been faced with problems that need to
be overcome— sometimes to survive, sometimes to be safe or secure or more comfortable, sometimes to
extend our mobility and/or our range, and sometimes simply (but profoundly!) to make our presence on
this planet and in this universe apparent and more meaningful over time.
We are not alone as problem solvers. Other animals, from ants to apes, also face problems, over
a wide range of complexity, that need to be dealt with. But our fellow species on Earth deal with
problems in the first three categories only, and in order: (1) to survive, (2) to be secure, or (3) to
extend mobility and/or range. Only we humans have ever taken on problems to make our presence
known across space and time. This is not surprising when one considers the Hierarchy of Needs first
proposed by the Brooklyn-born American psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) in his Theory of
Human Motivation in 1943. As shown in Figure 1–1, the three lowest levels of Maslow’s hierarchical
pyramid—in order, “Physiological Needs” (sometimes given as “Biological Needs” or “Survival
Needs”), “Safety Needs” (sometimes given as “Security Needs”), and “Belonging Needs” (sometimes
given as “Love and Relationship Needs”)—are collectively referred to as “D [deficiency] needs,”
while the two highest levels—in order, “Esteem Needs” (sometimes “Self-Esteem Needs”) and
“Self-Actualization Needs”—are collectively referred to as “B [being] needs.”2 The former of Maslow’s
two highest needs, involving the need to be accepted, respected, and valued by others, might be seen
as shared by some higher-order mammals, as with alpha males among most herd or pack animals and
among all primates. The latter, highest-of-all need, however, to be all that we are capable of being, is
uniquely human.3
As but a few examples of animals solving problems are the following:
■ Orangutans4 and chimpanzees using sticks as tools to collect insects from holes and, as shown
in Figure 1–2, by wild gorillas as stabilizers while they forage aquatic herbs—to eat and survive
(Level 1).
■ Orangutans using large leaves as umbrellas or rooftops to protect themselves (and their young)
from the rain, as shown in Figure 1–3, or fern branches to protect themselves from the hot sun of
Borneo—to be more secure and comfortable (Level 2).
■ Beavers moving mud and rocks and cutting down small trees and branches to make dams and lodges
(Figure 1–4)—to be more secure and comfortable, as well as to satisfy needs for relationships with
mates and offspring by building communal lodges (Levels 2 and 3).

1
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, 2006, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
2
Maslow subsequently extended his ideas to include his observations of humans’ innate curiosity, which, especially apropos to the
subject of this book, brings with it a need to be strong problem solvers.
3
Viktor Emil Frankl, the Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, added a sixth level to Maslow’s hierarchy, i.e., “Self-
Transcendence,” in which people seek to go beyond their prior form or state.
4
Orang-utans literally means “person” (orang) of the “forest” (hutan) in the native language of Borneo, where these great apes are
found.

3
4 Introduction

Self-actualization
(Achieving individual potential)

Esteem
(self-esteem and esteem from others)

Belonging
(Love, affection, being a part of groups)

Safety
(Shelter, removal from danger)

Physiological
(Health, food, sleep)

Figure 1–1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

■ Beavers cutting and moving trees to create bridges across boggy areas and streams—to increase their
mobility, extend their range, and attend to their needs for love, affection, and belonging by improving
chances to find a suitable mate (Level 3).
■ Ants building bridges using their own bodies to enable other ants to cross an obstacle (see YouTube.
com, “Ants Engineering—Building Bridge Within No Time”)—to increase their mobility and extend
their range (Levels 1 and 3). Remarkable video, more remarkable problem-solving, as one watches
the first ants to encounter the obstacle assessing the problem and a solution!
Of course, most of us are aware how clever common tree squirrels are at problem-solving when it
comes to getting food from hanging bird feeders, even “squirrel-proof ” ones, by causing them to spill
seeds onto the ground by shaking or even spinning the feeder.5 Recent studies have also proven that
Aesop’s fable “The Crow and the Pitcher,” in which a crow drops pebbles into a pitcher half filled with
water to raise the level to allow him to drink, has a real basis in fact. Rooks (relatives of crows) have
been observed dropping small rocks into water to raise the level to allow a worm floating on the surface
to be caught.6
Clever as our animal friends are, they don’t come close to solving the number, diversity, and
complexity of problems that we humans have solved and continue to solve since our appearance on this
planet. In fact, there are people who are specially trained to solve problems for the benefit of others.
They are known as engineers. According to the dictionary,7 engineers, as a plural noun, are defined
thus: “[Engineers] apply scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design,
construction, and operation of efficient and economical structures, equipment, and systems.” As a verb,
to engineer means “to plan, manage, or put through by skillful acts or contrivance,” the latter term
meaning to “devise with cleverness or ingenuity.” By this last definition, some of our animal friends are
definitely Nature’s engineers. But we human engineers truly excel at problem-solving.
No one could begin to list, no less describe, the innumerable problems solved by engineers over the
ages, and this book is not intended to see what problems engineers have solved; rather, it is intended
to compile and describe what techniques engineers use in problem-solving. But we can probably agree
that problem-solving for engineers falls into one of two broad categories: Problem-solving of necessity
5
Search YouTube.com under “Squirrels get to bird feeder . . .” to see real animal ingenuity at work!
6
Check out www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806121754.htm.
7
Ibid., Footnote 1.
 CHAPTER 1 ■ Engineers as Problem Solvers 5

Figure 1–2 A wild gorilla using a dead stick (top image, to her left) as a stabilizer while using her other,
free hand to gather aquatic herbs. (Source: Originally by T. Breuer, M. Ndounoku-Hockemba,
and V. Fishlock, in “First Observations of Tool Use in Wild Gorillas,” PLoS Biol [Journal of
the Public Library of Science] 3(11):e380, 2005; WikiMedia Commons from an image search,
used freely under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license.)

and necessary problem-solving. The former involves solving problems that must be solved on their
own account—as ends in themselves—the most obvious examples being problem situations that are
life-threatening (e.g., preventing life-destroying flooding along rivers using dikes or protecting ships
and sailors from life-threatening rock outcroppings using lighthouses). The latter involve solving the
many and varied problems that arise in the course of voluntarily undertaking each and every design or
construction project (e.g., stabilizing the soil for the foundation of a large civil structure or lifting heavy
structural elements into place) or operating equipment, a process, or a system (e.g., achieving desired
control for safety, efficiency, and economy). The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are an interesting
case in point.
Created in various versions in the first and second centuries BC, most notably by Antipater of Sidon
and an observer identified as Philon of Byzantium, the original list was more a guidebook of “must see”
sites for Hellenic tourists than any attempt to catalog great works of engineering located around the

Figure 1–3 Orangutans use large leaves as

umbrellas or rooftops to improve
their comfort. Here an orangutan Figure 1–4 Beavers move mud and rocks and
in Tanjung Putting National Park cut down branches and trees to build
near Camp Leakey in Kalimantan, dams and lodges for security and
Indonesia, uses leaves as protection comfort. (Source: www.furtrapper
from rain. (Source: Photograph taken .com; O. Ned Eddins, Afton, WY, used
by Paul and Paveena McKenzie and with his kind permission.)
used with their kind permission.)
6 Introduction

TABLE 1–1 The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World

Wonder Construction Builder Notable Destruction Modern
Date Feature Date/Cause Location
Great Pyramid 2584–2561 BC Egyptians Tomb for Still exists Giza, Egypt
Pharaoh Khufu
Hanging ~600 BC Babylonians Multilevel ~1st century Al Hillah, Babil,
Gardens of gardens, with BC/Earthquake Iraq
Babylon irrigation
system. Built
for Amytis
of Media
by husband
Nebuchadnezzar
II
Temple of c. 550 BC Lydians, Dedicated to 356 BC/by Near Selcuk,
Artemis Persians, Greek goddess Herostratus Izmir,
Greeks Artemis; took Turkey by
120 years to Goths
build AD 262
Statue of Zeus 466–456 BC Greeks Occupied 5th–6th Olympia,
at Olympus (Temple) 435 whole width of centuries AD/ Greece
(Statue) BC temple aisle Fire
(12 m/40 ft)
Mausoleum of 351 BC Carians, 45 m (150 ft) by AD 1494/ Bodrum,
Halicarnassus Persians, tall, adorned First a flood, Turkey
Greeks with sculptural then an
reliefs earthquake
Colossus of 292–280 BC Greeks 35 m (110 ft) 226 BC/ Rhodes, Greece
Rhodes statue of Greek Earthquake
god Helios
Lighthouse of c. 280 BC Hellenistic 115–135 m AD 1303–1480/ Alexandria,
Alexandria Egypt, Greeks (380–440 ft) Fires and Egypt
tall; Island of earthquakes
Pharos became
the Latin word
for lighthouse

Mediterranean Sea.8 Table 1–1 lists the Seven Ancient Wonders and some basic information on each,
while Figure 1–5 shows an artist’s concepts of the seven. A strong argument could be made that only the
Lighthouse at Alexandria was probably a solution to a problem (for navigators to the greatest city of the
time), that is, involved problem-solving of necessity. The others—while each a marvel of engineering at
any time, no less during ancient times—were more an appeal to one of Maslow’s two highest-level needs
for self-esteem and self-actualization. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, on the other hand, was surely
created out of the need for King Nebuchadnezzar to express his love for his wife, Amytis of Media,
fulfilling a Level 3 relationship need.

8
For the ancient Greeks, the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea was their known world (i.e., the Hellenic world). They
probably didn’t venture far beyond this area.
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
 "Indeed! Come into the drawing-room and rest. Jean will bring
something to eat and drink immediately."
She led the way into the room, gave Harry a comfortable chair,
and sat opposite to him, folding her plump hands on her lap, and
heaving a sigh of satisfaction and relief. The servant soon
reappeared with a tray, and when Madame de Vaudrey had seen
Harry supplied with drink and food that pleased him, she dismissed
her man, read the letter Mynheer Grootz had enclosed with his gift,
and began to talk.
"You are English? That is interesting. My dear husband's mother
was English, so that my daughter has a little—a very little, of course
—English blood in her. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you
came when you did. That is also another debt I owe to Mynheer
Grootz. He writes very amiable things of you. I was at my wits' end,
Monsieur Rochestair; I will tell you about it.—Do you like that wine?"
"Thank you, it is excellent."
"I am so glad! You speak French very well for an Englishman.
My daughter wishes to learn English. She takes after her father, not
after me. I wonder where she is?"
Harry followed her glance to the door; he too had wondered
what had become of the tall girl who had shown so much
decisiveness of character at an awkward moment. But she did not
appear.
"Well," continued the amiable hostess, "let me tell you all about
it."
Mynheer Grootz's recommendation was clearly a passport to her
favour. She leant back in her high chair, and in her clear, well-
modulated voice told Harry what he was, it must be confessed,
curious to hear. It was three years since her husband, the Comte de
Vaudrey, died. He was a student, not a man of affairs; and his
fortune suffered through his lack of business-like qualities. The
estate, a small one, purchased by his father when as a Huguenot he
fled from France at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, was now
much encumbered. Monsieur de Vaudrey had bought the best
perspective glasses and other expensive scientific instruments, had
spent large sums on rare books and specimens, and had so
embarrassed himself that he had to apply to the Amsterdam
bankers, who advanced him money on a mortgage of the estate. Not
long afterwards he died.
"It is only a year ago," continued Madame de Vaudrey, "that we
learnt that we were to have a neighbour. The estate adjoining our
own had been in the market for many years, and we heard that it
had at last been purchased by a Monsieur de Polignac, a Frenchman,
and a Huguenot like ourselves. We were rejoiced at the news; a
neighbour of our own race and faith would be so charming, we
thought. And so indeed he was, at first. I thought his visits to his
estate too few; he was so often at the Hague; when he came to see
us he was so debonair, so gracious, that I liked him well. With my
daughter, quite the contrary. It was prejudice, I told her; but from
the first she looked on him coldly. Then all at once he became a
more frequent visitor, and I saw—yes, a mother's eyes are keen—
that he had pretensions to my daughter's hand. I did not oppose
him; he was rich, noble, a Huguenot; but Adèle—certes, Monsieur
Rochestair, no maiden could ever have given less encouragement.
The first time he was refused he smiled—he does not look well when
he smiles, think you?—and said that he would still hope. But though
I thought the match a good one, I would not persuade my daughter:
she is all I have, Monsieur, and so young. He went away; then a few
days ago I am astonished to see him reappear in company with
Captain Aglionby, who is visiting him. Now first I begin really to
dislike Monsieur de Polignac."
"Did you know Captain Aglionby before, then?" asked Harry in
surprise.
"Yes; that is why. I know him, and I think no friend of his can
be a good man. Captain Aglionby stayed for a month in this house
some five years ago. No, he was not a welcome guest; he was
brought here to recover from a wound he had received in a skirmish
near by; ah, Monsieur, he is an odious man! I hate his loud voice, his
turbulence, his rodomontade; imagine, three times, Monsieur, three
times he intoxicated himself in my house, and excused himself with
the plea that he had done so many times with the Czar of Muscovy.
He used to force himself into my husband's study, meddle with his
things, spoil his scientific experiments—my husband was discovering
a plan to get gold from sea-water, and we should have been so rich!
But the odious captain ruined all. I am sure he did, for the
experiments came to nothing."
"Why did you put up with it?"
"Alas! what could we do? My husband was a man of tranquil
soul who had lived so long with his books that he could not deal with
men. As for me—you see me, a poor helpless woman! and Adèle
was then only eleven! judge then my surprise and alarm when I see
Captain Aglionby in company with Monsieur de Polignac. Still more
to-day, when Monsieur de Polignac comes once more to urge his
suit. Adèle refuses him with scorn. And then—oh, the villain!—he
tells me he has bought from the Jews of Amsterdam the mortgage
on this estate, and if Adèle will not be his wife, then he turns us out
—think of it, Monsieur; turns two defenceless women out. This it is
that changes me, a weak woman, into a fury, as you see."
Harry forbore to smile at Madame de Vaudrey's placid
impersonation of a fury.
"They are a couple of villains indeed," he said. "It was truly
fortunate that I came with Sherebiah at the right moment."
"Yes, indeed; a thousand thanks! And only think of it: just
before you came Captain Aglionby, odious man, had dared to hint
that when we were thrust out of our home he would do me the
honour to marry me. Truly an honour! No, I never forget my dear
husband; no, never! Ah, this is the dear brave man, your servant?"
The door had opened, and Sherebiah came in awkwardly,
turning his hat between his hands. Madame de Vaudrey rose and,
smiling upon him, said:
"I give you a thousand thanks. You are a hero; how strong! how
bold!"
Sherebiah bobbed.
"Madame de Vaudrey thanks you," said Harry.
"'Tis handsome of the lady, sir, and I'm obleeged, and axes you
to put my sarvices into French lingo, sir."
He bobbed again.
"What about Captain Aglionby?" asked Harry.
"Well, sir, I reckon he be madder than a March hare. Nigh to
bust hisself, and hot as pepper. Would ha' slashed me, man o' peace
as I be, if 'tweren't for half a dozen Dutch coofs wi' pitchforks and
other articles o' warfare drawn up below, wi' the young lady at their
head. Ay, she be a warrior bold, sure enough: I never seed such a
piece of female manliness all my life long. 'Twas with a flashen eye
and a pink rose on each pretty cheek her stood and ordered 'em out.
Ay, an uncommon upstanden piece o' womankind her be, to be
sure."
Harry was glad that Madame de Vaudrey's ignorance of English
could not fathom this plain-spoken tribute to her daughter's charms.
"They are really gone, then?" he said.
"Why, yes, both on 'em; the long beetle chap as well. He be a
next-door neighbour, it seems, and a mighty unpleasant neighbour
he must be.—Thank 'ee kindly, mum," he added, as Madame de
Vaudrey offered him a glass of wine, "but if 'ee don't mind, I'd rather
wet my whistle with a mug of beer in the kitchen."
The lady smiled when this was interpreted.
"You English are like the Hollanders in that," she said. "Certainly.
Jean, take the brave man to the kitchen and treat him well."
Sherebiah pulled his forelock and departed with alacrity.
"We must shortly be going on our way, Madame," said Harry. "I
have a convoy of provisions for the garrison at Breda, and my
wagoners are even now growing impatient, I doubt not."
"But, Monsieur, I cannot hear of it. You cannot reach Breda to-
night; and suppose those odious men return? You must be tired. Do
me the favour to stay here for the night; and we can find a bed for
your man also."
"But the wagons?"
"Let them go on to the village; it is but half a league away. They
can remain at the inn there. Monsieur, I insist; and besides, I have
to write a letter of thanks to my friend Mynheer Grootz."
 Harry had no reason for refusing an invitation so cordial.
Madame de Vaudrey beamed when he accepted, and, begging to be
excused, went off to make arrangements with her servants. Left to
himself, Harry looked round the room. It was richly furnished; the
tables, cabinets, and chairs were of French make, in highly polished
rose-wood; chairs and sofas were covered with crimson velvet, and
two cabinets were filled with beautiful porcelain and Dutch china.
The pictures upon the walls were all French, except one—a portrait,
evidently by a Dutch hand and of a comparatively recent date. It
represented a man's head, with dark complexion and wistful
melancholy eyes. Harry was attracted to it by a slight resemblance
to his father; not in the features, which were quite unlike, but in the
curious sadness of the expression. His thoughts were carried back to
his old home at Winton St. Mary, and the quiet life with his father
there; a mist came before his eyes, and he fell into a reverie,
standing thus before the picture.
So rapt was he in recollection that he did not hear the door
open behind him, nor turn to see the entrance of Adèle de Vaudrey.
For a moment the girl stood in the doorway, holding the handle. An
onlooker would have seen a strange shifting of expression upon her
face as she paused in hesitation whether to advance or retire, to
speak or to remain silent. It was but for a moment; her lips
softened, her long lashes drooped down upon her eyes; and closing
the door as noiselessly as she had opened it she slipped away.

CHAPTER X
 Bluff

A Stroll—A Fair Cook—Love and Duty—An Arrival—General van Santen—Raiders—A

Dozen all Told—Rallying the Peasants—Desperate Counsels—The Masqueraders—
Strategy—A Ruse de Guerre—Stage Effects—Final Touches—In Sight—At the Door
—Ransom—A Turn of the Screw—Phantom Forces—Dilemma—Discretion—
Courtesies

"Ah, my dear Monsieur Rochestair, pardon me for leaving you so

long. I have been to prepare your room."
"Thank you indeed, Madame!"
"You were looking at the portrait? It is my dear husband. Is it
not a fine head? Can you imagine, after seeing it, that I could put
that odious captain in his place? Not that I should think every man
bad unless he resembled my husband. No, that would be unjust. But
come and see my garden, Monsieur Rochestair. It is beautiful outside
now that the sun is going down."
"I shall be delighted. I have noticed how the scent of the
flowers comes to us here through the windows."
"Yes, I love flowers. Mynheer Grootz knows that."
Madame conducted Harry through the grounds. They were laid
out with more freedom than was usual in Holland, and reminded him
at many a turn of well-tended parks at home. The house was
surrounded by its garden; beyond this was an expanse of lawn and
thin park bounded by a wall. Beyond this again, Madame de Vaudrey
explained, lay the orchard belonging to the far larger estate now
owned by Monsieur de Polignac. At a considerable distance from the
house on the eastern side Harry remarked a large open stretch of
ground, roughly circular in shape, covered with grass that grew wild
and was left uncropt, Across the middle of it ran a ditch, now
apparently dry, passing under the garden wall and the road, and
evidently connected with the canal. Near to the spot where the ditch
disappeared beneath the wall stood a large dilapidated building, like
the storehouse usually attached to a Dutch mill.
"You wonder at our neglect of this part of the grounds," said the
lady with a smile. "But that is our skating pond. In winter we open
the sluices at the canal end of the ditch; it fills, the water overflows,
and thus we flood the field. Then comes the frost, and we have, I
think, the finest skating pond in Holland, and quite safe. We used to
hold tournaments, people came from miles around; but alas! since
this terrible war has recommenced we have almost forgotten those
pleasant sports of winter. I do hope it will soon come to an end. I
never could understand what men are fighting about. My dear
husband used to speak of the balance of power; the French king
wishes to rule everybody, he told me; certainly King Louis is a bad
man; he has behaved disgracefully to us poor Huguenots; and I dare
say you English are quite right in helping the Dutch to punish him.
But war is so terrible. My dear husband was trying to invent
something that would enable one army to make another army
senseless without killing them; I know nothing about it, but the idea
was excellent; and if the truth were known I dare say it was that
odious Captain Aglionby who spoilt that too."
Thus the good lady kept chattering to Harry as she conducted
him over her little estate. The evening was drawing rapidly in; a light
mist was rising, and Madame shivered a little as she turned back
towards the house. A moment afterwards her daughter met her.
 "Mother," she said, "you should not be out in the damp air. You
know it is bad for you."
"Yes, my dear," replied Madame de Vaudrey, submitting to be
enwrapped in a large woollen shawl which her daughter's fair hands
wound about her head and shoulders. "I have been showing
Monsieur Rochestair our little property—alas! soon to be ours no
more. I told Monsieur why, Adèle."
The girl's cheeks flushed, but she said nothing.
"I did not tell you, Madame," said Harry, "that I happen to know
something of Captain Aglionby."
"Indeed! nothing but what is perfectly odious, I am sure."
"I have reason to believe that he was concerned in an attempt
to ship me to our plantations in Barbados. My man tells me——"
"Monsieur," interrupted the girl, "my mother is subject to chills.
You are staying with us to-night; will you hasten to the house with
my mother and tell us the story at supper?"
"With pleasure, Mademoiselle."
Harry felt a little in awe of this very decisive young lady, with
her scornful lip and clear uncompromising tones. She hurried in
advance to the house, and was waiting in the panelled dining-room
when the others appeared. The table looked very inviting with its
spotless napery, shining plate, and vases of flowers, and Harry found
the meal much to his taste after the plain fare of Dutch hostelries.
Besides such staple viands as Westphalian ham and bag-puddings—
one variety of these, filled with raisins and spices, was excellent—
there were dainty French dishes—confections of fruit and cream
which surprised even Madame la Comtesse.
 "Ah, you rogue!" she exclaimed; "I see now where you hid
yourself this afternoon."
"Mademoiselle likes cooking?" Harry ventured to say.
"By no means, Monsieur, I dislike it exceedingly."
"Oh!"
"I knew we had nothing ready, Mamma," added the girl, "and
you would not have liked Monsieur to think little of your hospitality."
During the meal Harry gave the ladies an account of himself,
speaking of his early hopes and ambitions, his disappointments, the
vain waiting for a message from Marlborough, the strange animus of
the squire, the kidnapping, the interposition of Mynheer Grootz. His
hearers were deeply interested; even Mademoiselle, though she said
little, and seemed to curl her pretty lip when her mother's curiosity
or indignation showed itself in little vivacious exclamations,—
Mademoiselle kept her eyes fixed on Harry as he spoke, though
whenever he happened to glance towards her she was looking away
and appeared unconcerned.
"Ah, there now!" cried the comtesse, when Harry mentioned,
without a trace of bitterness, Marlborough's failure to keep his
promise; "that is my lord duke's character. He is mean, he is selfish,
he loves no one but himself."
"And the duchess," put in Harry.
"But that is his duty. It is his duty to love his wife. I did not say
he was a monster."
"Did you love papa from duty?" asked Adèle simply.
"I never said that, Adèle. Of course it is a woman's duty to love
her husband, but your dear father was so good, so kind, so fond of
me that no one could help loving him."
 "Mynheer Grootz is good and kind, but you don't love him."
Madame de Vaudrey flushed.
"You say such odd things, Adèle. I can't think how it is. I never
said such things when I was a girl. Mynheer Grootz is good, and
kind; you are right; and if it were my duty——"
"Oh, Mamma," cried Adèle, "do forget the word duty! I am sure
none of us either loves or hates from duty.—Would Monsieur like
some strawberries and cream?"
Harry went to bed that night very well pleased with himself, his
hostess, and her daughter. He liked the little, simple, talkative
countess; he was piqued by Adèle's reserve, coolness, indifference—
he hardly knew what to call it; the something which seemed to
indicate that Harry Rochester was a creature far too insignificant for
the notice of Mademoiselle Adèle de Vaudrey. "And she is clever,
too," he thought. "Faith, how she sent Aglionby to the right-about!
Polignac is a scoundrel; what will they do if he turns them out? And
how did he come across Aglionby? She will not marry him, at any
rate; that's one comfort."
It is very unromantic, but the truth must be told. Thoughts of
Adèle did not keep Harry one instant from sleep. His bed was a dark
mysterious-looking box, with brown damask curtains drawn closely
round it. Withdrawing the curtains, he saw a magnificent quilt of
crimson satin, snowy sheets, a lace-trimmed pillow. He scrambled
up, barking his legs against the high boards composing the sides,
and the moment he laid his head on the pillow forgot Aglionby,
Marlborough, Adèle, and duty.
When Madame de Vaudrey bade good-night to her daughter she
said:
 "Eh bien, fillette; je l'aime, le bel Anglais. Il est brave,
intelligent, modeste, parfaitement aimable, n'est-ce pas?"
"Oh, petite maman, que voulez-vous? Est-ce que je dois l'aimer,
moi aussi?"
And kissing her mother on both cheeks Adèle ran off laughing.
Harry was awakened in the morning by the loud singing of the
birds. He had left his window wide open, and the scent of flowers
and perfume from the fir wood at the extremity of the estate gave
him fragrant greeting. He sprang out of bed, and stood at the
window inhaling the luscious odours, listening to the song of the
birds and the incessant hoarse croak of the frogs, gazing at the
grass glistening with dew. "I should like a week's holiday here," he
thought. "Ay me! it is breakfast, and then for Breda!"
But he had only just left his room when he heard below a
violent clanging of the bell, followed by a strange voice speaking in
the hall, and a hasty running to and fro. Hurrying downstairs, he met
Adèle de Vaudrey at the foot of the staircase.
"Come with me, Monsieur," she said the moment she saw him.
"Mamma is not down yet."
She preceded him through the hall door, at which he now saw a
light calash drawn up, and behind it ten horses, nine of them sat by
Dutch dragoons, the tenth being the steed of the soldier who stood
at the door, and whose voice it was that Harry had heard. From the
horses, clouds of vapour rose into the fresh morning air; the pace
had evidently been forced. In the calash were two men: the elder, in
the uniform of a Dutch officer of high rank, reclined on the cushions,
half-supported by a young aide-de-camp seated at his side. He was
deathly pale; his eyes were closed.
 As Mademoiselle de Vaudrey, followed by Harry, came to the
door of the carriage, the aide-de-camp without changing his position
addressed her in Dutch.
"It is as you see, mejjuffrouw. It is General van Santen; he is
desperately wounded. We hoped to reach Breda, but the general
swooned a few minutes ago and I dare not drive farther."
"Bring him in at once," said Adèle. "The soldiers can lift him.
Never mind about explanations now. One of the soldiers must ride
on to the village for the meester; it is only half a league. Monsieur,"
she added, addressing Harry in her quick, decisive tones, "assist; I
will warn Mamma."
She ran back into the house. The inanimate general was
carefully carried into the hall. He was a fine soldierly man, with a
strong rugged face of English rather than Dutch cast. Harry
remembered that Mynheer Grootz had mentioned General van
Santen as a friend of his, and one of the ablest and most trusted of
the lieutenants of William of Orange. Madame de Vaudrey had by
this time come from above, and stood in pale expectation. The
general was laid upon a sofa in the reception-room, and Adèle had
already provided a basin of water and a bottle of smelling-salts with
which she endeavoured to revive the wounded officer.
"What is it?" cried Madame de Vaudrey, who had left these
ministrations to the hands of her capable daughter.
The aide-de-camp explained that General van Santen had left
the Duke of Marlborough's camp late at night on his way to the
Hague. In the faint dawn he had suddenly come upon a French
raiding-party which had apparently made a dash from Lierre. It was
known that Tserclaes had advanced from the main French army in
order to protect Antwerp. The general had dashed through with his
men, but not rapidly enough to escape a bullet which had lodged in
his groin. With great difficulty he had kept the saddle as far as the
next village; but there, exhausted by the effort and by loss of blood,
he had been placed in a hastily prepared carriage and driven on in
the hope of arriving at Breda in time to warn the garrison. His
wound had proved even more serious than was supposed; he had
lost consciousness, and his aide-de-camp had deemed it necessary
to halt at the first house and ask for assistance.
"In what direction are the raiders coming?" asked Harry.
"In this direction, Mynheer," replied the aide-de-camp.
"And how far away were they when this happened?"
"About ten miles."
"So they may be here within an hour?"
"If they ride on at once, but they will probably stop to plunder."
"Can they be checked?"
"Alas, Mynheer! there is no force near at hand."
"Surely they will raise the country?"
"But they are mounted, and the country people cannot cope
with them. Even if the news is carried to Helmund there are none
but burghers there, and they are useless against cavalry, except
behind their own walls."
"And how many do the raiders number?"
"More than a hundred, as I judge, Mynheer."
Madame de Vaudrey stood in agitated silence while this rapid
colloquy was in progress. Adèle was still bathing the wounded man's
temples; no one present had sufficient knowledge to attempt more
than the roughest of means to bind the wound. In a few minutes the
general opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" he asked, feebly.
"In the house of Madame de Vaudrey," said that lady.
"How far from where I was shot?"
"Only a few miles," replied the aide-de-camp.
"Then someone must ride to Breda for help, and take my
despatches. They must be at the Hague to-night."
"I will write a note to the commandant," said the aide-de-camp,
"and send one of the troopers."
"No, no, lieutenant, you must ride yourself. I can't trust the
despatches to a trooper."
"But I do not care to leave you, general."
"It is my wish. The enemy can only capture me, but they may
do unheard-of mischief around. Delay no longer: ride fast."
The exertion of talking was too much for him, and he swooned
again. Loth as he was to go, the aide-de-camp could not ignore the
general's express instructions. Before leaving he took Harry aside
and asked him to consider himself in command of the troopers.
"You're not strong enough to beat off the enemy," he said, "but
it will be well for the men to have someone to look to in emergency.
Don't let the general fall into the enemy's hands if you can help it."
Harry hesitated. His first duty was undoubtedly to secure the
safety of the convoy, for the sake both of the Breda garrison and
Mynheer Grootz. On the other hand, he scouted the idea of
deserting the ladies in their predicament. Further, the raiding-party
were upon the road behind him; they had clearly swept round
Eyndhoven, avoiding Helmund, and in all probability were on the
heels of the general. Even if he got his convoy safely away from the
village it could only move at a walking pace. In an hour or two it
must be overtaken, and he would thus do no good either for himself
or the ladies by instant flight. He therefore made up his mind to
remain at Lindendaal, and assured the aide-de-camp that he would
do his best. But when the lieutenant had ridden off, and Harry
reflected on the position of the ladies, he thought it worth while to
suggest that they should start at once for Breda in order to be out of
harm's way. Adèle answered at once for her mother.
"Impossible, Monsieur! We cannot leave the general; we will not
leave the house. Consult your own duty."
Her tone was not to be gainsaid. Harry went into the hall,
wondering what he could do for the best. He met Sherebiah at the
door.
"Eh, sir, 'tis a pretty pickle o' fish."
"What are we to do, Sherry?"
"As a man o' peace, I say cut and run."
"Can't we defend the house?"
"Wi' ten Dutch dragoons and a gardener and a maid or two?
And two hundred French, so 'tis said!"
"But men will come in from the villages round."
"Ay, on foot, and with pitchforks and flails. Not much good
against swords and carbines."
At that moment a man galloped up from a village some eight
miles down the road, with news that the French were already
sacking and burning. They had first demanded a ransom, and the
sum required not being forthcoming within the short time allowed,
they had begun their ruthless work. A few moments afterwards one
of Harry's teamsters rode up on a cart-horse. He had heard the
news from the aide-de-camp as he passed through the village where
the convoy had put up for the night, and come back to ask for
orders. Harry caught at the chance of delay. The French, it
appeared, first demanded a ransom; could they be put off and time
be gained for relief to arrive? The question suggested a plan that
might be tried in default of a better.
"Ride back, Piet," said Harry, "and bring up the wagons as fast
as you can, and as many of the villagers as you can muster—with
arms, if they have them."
His idea was to barricade the road; every minute's delay was a
minute gained, and as the news spread he believed that the
Hollanders had courage and spirit enough to strike a blow in defence
of their homes. In point of fact, Piet had hardly departed to fulfil his
errand when Dutchmen came up in ones and twos and threes, some
on great lumbering farm-horses, others on foot, all hastening
towards Breda in the hope of escaping the devouring French behind
them. A few had firelocks, some had bills, others staggered along
under the burden of household valuables they hoped to save from
ruin. Harry set Sherebiah to intercept them all as they came up and
to bring them within the grounds, and as their number swelled he
reverted to his original idea of defending the house.
It was a counsel of desperation. The house had several
entrances, each one of which must be manned; it was too large to
be held by so small a garrison. The outhouses would afford cover to
an attacking force. Including the ten dragoons, there were only at
present fourteen well-armed men among the ever-growing crowd;
he could not improvise arms, and little effective work was to be
expected from an untrained rabble, however courageous, pitted
against regular troops. Further, to defend the house from within
would inevitably lead to its being fired and blown up, and Madame
de Vaudrey would profit not a jot. If the house was to be saved it
must be by preventing the enemy from reaching it. What chance
was there of effectually barring the road against the raiders? He
went out to investigate.
As he reached the park gate he was met by two men who had
just come on foot from the village. One was a yeoman, the other a
soldier belonging to some infantry regiment—a man probably on
furlough. Harry was struck by the similarity of their costumes. Their
hats were almost alike; their doublets and knee-breeches of similar
dark materials; but for the red collar and the bands around the
sleeves, there was very little at a distance to distinguish the soldier
from the civilian. A sudden notion flashed through Harry's mind. It
was a chance in a thousand; the risks were great; the odds were all
against success; but on the other side there was the imminent
danger of destruction to the house, ruin to the owners, the capture
of the Dutch general, and the subsequent burning of the village.
"We'll try it," he said to himself. "Sherry, send every man up to
the house, and let me know the instant our wagons appear."
"Ay, I will, sir.—'Tis a pretty ticklish time o' day for a man o'
peace," he muttered under his breath.
Harry ran back to the house. The doctor from the village
overtook him on horseback, and they entered together.
Mademoiselle de Vaudrey showed some surprise when she saw
Harry, but she made no comment.
 "Mademoiselle," said Harry, "the general is in good hands now.
May I ask your assistance?"
She gave him a keen glance, rose at once from her knees, and
followed him from the room.
"Mademoiselle," continued Harry eagerly, "have you any red
ribbon, silk, stuff, anything, in the house?"
"Perhaps. Why do you ask?"
"Will you find all that you can, and with your maids sew red
bands round the collars and cuffs of the men?"
"To make them look like soldiers—is that what you mean?"
"Yes," replied Harry, delighted that she seized his meaning so
quickly.
"I will do so at once. Send the men to the hall."
Harry next called up old Jean, and bade him fetch the gardener.
When the man appeared, Harry asked him to gather as many sticks
as he could, by preference wood with the bark on, about five feet in
length, and stack them at the back door. A few minutes afterwards a
message reached him from Sherebiah that the wagons had arrived.
He ran upstairs and, regardless of ceremony, called out:
"Mademoiselle de Vaudrey!"
Adèle came out of a room, holding a strip of red ribbon.
"Mademoiselle," said Harry, "I must go to the gate. Will you
make every unarmed man look as much like a soldier as possible,
and see that each is provided with one of the sticks that the
gardener is now collecting?"
"Yes. Is there anything else?"
"Is it possible to run up a flag on the belfry-tower?"
"If you say it is to be done, it shall be done."
 "I do not want the flag hoisted at present; but if you will
prepare to do so——'
"Very well," interrupted the girl.
Harry thanked her with a look, and ran downstairs three steps
at a time. He called to one of the dragoons to accompany him, and
hastened again to the gate, meeting on the way several men whom,
in obedience to his instructions, Sherebiah had sent up from the
road.
"Sherry," he said, "ask this fellow if a cavalry troop on the march
is preceded by an advance guard. He won't understand my Dutch."
"I can tell 'ee that," said Sherebiah instantly. "They do so. A
patrol goos ahead, mebbe a quarter of a mile."
"Oh! Now, mark my plan. Mademoiselle de Vaudrey is making
some of the Dutchmen look like soldiers; we've no muskets for
them, but at a distance I hope sticks may serve as well. I am going
to post these make-believe soldiers around the wall of the estate
among the trees; it will look as if the orchard and woods are
manned. They will remain concealed until a flag appears on the
tower; then their sudden appearance will, I trust, make an
impression."
"Ay, sir, 'tis famous. But if the patrol gets much past the house,
'twill be labour lost, for they will be near enough to see 'tis all my
eye."
"Yes, that must be avoided. What can be done?"
"I tell 'ee, sir. Leave three o' the wagons on the road, half a mile
or so towards the village, where the road bends; I reckon Piet and
Hans and me can keep any French patrol a-diddle-daddlen until the
flag runs up. Then—do 'ee see, sir?—dragoons slip out of copse and
trounce the Frenchmen, Piet and me and Hans draws the wagons
across the road: and there be a barricade."
"A capital notion! I will leave that to you, then.—Ah! here is a
man from the other direction. He may have news of the enemy."
A countryman, with his wife and family, had just driven up in a
cart. From him Harry learnt that the French were sacking isolated
farms on the road, and might be expected within the hour. Harry at
once went back to the house, ran up the stairs, and again called for
mademoiselle.
"May I go up to the roof and see if I can descry the enemy?" he
asked.
"I will take you."
She led the way to the turret stair, and in a few moments Harry
stood upon the roof, whence on fine days a clear prospect for many
miles could have been obtained. The morning was somewhat
overcast, and the haze limited his view. But in one quarter he
seemed to see a blackness that could only arise from the smoke of
burning houses. Between him and the cloud appeared the gables of
a house larger than Madame de Vaudrey's chateau.
"That belongs to Monsieur de Polignac," said Adèle in reply to
his question.
"The French will come to that first; that will gain a little time for
us."
At that moment his eye caught the large barn-like building at
the extremity of the Vaudrey estate, just beyond the ditch running
into the canal. In a flash a new idea set his pulse leaping. Hitherto
his only aim had been to delay or daunt the enemy until help could
arrive from Breda or some nearer point. But the recollection of what
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