I will give you a letter to him.

I shall tell him that you have greatly distinguished yourself while on my staff, and being anxious above all things to acquire military knowledge and to serve with honour, I have sent you to him, begging him to give you the same post on his staff as you have had on mine, asking it as a personal favour to myself.

This, I have no doubt, he will grant.

He has affected my company a good deal when I have been in Paris, and has evinced the greatest desire to learn as much as he can of military matters from me." "I am grateful indeed for your kindness, sir, of which I will most gladly avail myself, and shall indeed be pleased at the opportunity of seeing a great battle." "I wish to show my approbation of the manner in which you have, since you left me in Italy, endeavoured to do all in your power to acquire useful knowledge, instead of wasting your time in idleness or gambling, to which so many young officers in the army give themselves up." The next day Hector and Paolo joined the army of Enghien as it was on the march to Eperney.

The former was now within a few months of seventeen, of middle height, strongly built, his hard exercise and training having broadened him greatly.