The enemy had extorted from his dulness or his drunkenness a promise, which his mature and sober reason could not consider binding.

It is needless to say that Champagny rebuked him for signing, and applauded him for breaking the treaty.

At the same time its ill effects were already seen in the dissensions which existed among the German troops.

Where all had been tampered with, and where the commanders had set the example of infidelity, it would have been strange if all had held firm.

On the whole, however, Oberstein thought he could answer for his own troops: Upon Van Ende's division, although the crafty colonel dissembled his real intentions; very little reliance was placed.