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a Haie…Sainte； it was abrupt and difficult of approach。
The slope there is so steep that the English cannon could not see the farm； situated in the bottom of the valley； which was the centre of the bat。 On the 18th of June； 1815； the rains had still farther increased this acclivity； the mud plicated the problem of the ascent； and the men not only slipped back； but stuck fast in the mire。 Along the crest of the plateau ran a sort of trench whose presence it was impossible for the distant observer to divine。
What was this trench？
Let us explain。
Braine…l'Alleud is a Belgian village； Ohain is another。
These villages； both of them concealed in curves of the landscape； are connected by a road about a league and a half in length； which traverses the plain along its undulating level； and often enters and buries itself in the hills like a furrow； which makes a ravine of this road in some places。 In 1815； as at the present day； this road cut the crest of the plateau of Mont…Saint…Jean between the two highways from Genappe and Nivelles； only； it is now on a level with the plain； it was then a hollow way。 Its two slopes have been appropriated for the monumental hillock。 This road was； and still is； a trench throughout the greater portion of its course； a hollow trench； sometimes a dozen feet in depth； and whose banks； being too steep； crumbled away here and there； particularly in winter； under driving rains。
Accidents happened here。 The road was so narrow at the Braine…l'Alleud entrance that a passer…by was crushed by a cart； as is proved by a stone cross which stands near the cemetery； and which gives the name of the dead； Monsieur Bernard Debrye； Merchant of Brussels； and the date of the accident； February； 1637。＇8＇ It was so deep on the table…land of Mont…Saint…Jean that a peasant； Mathieu Nicaise； was crushed there； in 1783； by a slide from the slope； as is stated on another stone cross； the top of which has disappeared in the process of clearing the ground； but whose overturned pedestal is still visible on the grassy slope to the left of the highway between La Haie…Sainte and the farm of Mont…Saint…Jean。
＇8＇ This is the inscription：
D。 O。 M。
CY A ETE ECRASE
PAR MALHEUR
SOUS UN CHARIOT；
MONSIEUR BERNARD
DE BRYE MARCHAND
A BRUXELLE LE ＇Illegible＇
FEVRIER 1637。
On the day of battle； this hollow road whose existence was in no way indicated； bordering the crest of Mont…Saint…Jean； a trench at the summit of the escarpment； a rut concealed in the soil； was invisible； that is to say； terrible。
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER VIII
THE EMPEROR PUTS A QUESTION TO THE GUIDE LACOSTE
So； on the morning of Waterloo； Napoleon was content。
He was right； the plan of battle conceived by him was； as we have seen； really admirable。
The battle once begun； its very various changes；the resistance of Hougomont； the tenacity of La Haie…Sainte； the killing of Bauduin； the disabling of Foy； the unexpected wall against which Soye's brigade was shattered； Guilleminot's fatal heedlessness when he had neither petard nor powder sacks； the miring of the batteries； the fifteen unescorted pieces overwhelmed in a hollow way by Uxbridge； the small effect of the bombs falling in the English lines； and there embedding themselves in the rain…soaked soil； and only succeeding in producing volcanoes of mud； so that the canister was turned into a splash； the uselessness of Pire's demonstration on Braine…l'Alleud； all that cavalry； fifteen squadrons； almost exterminated； the right wing of the English badly alarmed； the left wing badly cut into； Ney's strange mistake in massing； instead of echelonning the four divisions of the first corps； men delivered over to grape…shot； arranged in ranks twenty…seven deep and with a frontage of two hundred； the frightful holes made in these masses by the cannon…balls； attacking columns disorganized； the side…battery suddenly unmasked on their flank； Bourgeois； Donzelot； and Durutte promised； Quiot repulsed； Lieutenant Vieux； that Hercules graduated at the Polytechnic School； wounded at the moment when he was beating in with an axe the door of La Haie…Sainte under the downright fire of the English barricade which barred the angle of the road from Genappe to Brussels； Marcognet's division caught between the infantry and the cavalry； shot down at the very muzzle of the guns amid the grain by Best and Pack； put to the sword by Ponsonby； his battery of seven pieces spiked； the Prince of Saxe…Weimar holding and guarding； in spite of the te d'Erlon； both Frischemont and Smohain； the flag of the 105th taken； the flag of the 45th captured； that black Prussian hussar stopped by runners of the flying column of three hundred light cavalry on the scout between Wavre and Plancenoit； the alarming things that had been said by prisoners； Grouchy's delay； fifteen hundred men killed in the orchard of Hougomont in less than an hour； eighteen hundred men overthrown in a still shorter time about La Haie…Sainte；all these stormy incidents passing like the clouds of battle before Napoleon； had hardly troubled his gaze and had not overshadowed that face of imperial certainty。 Napoleon was accustomed to gaze steadily at war； he never added up the heart…rending details； cipher by cipher； ciphers mattered little to him； provided that they furnished the total； victory； he was not alarmed if the beginnings did go astray； since he thought himself the master and the possessor at the end； he knew how to wait； supposing himself to be out of the question； and he treated destiny as his equal：
he seemed to say to fate； Thou wilt not dare。
posed half of light and half of shadow； Napoleon thought himself protected in good and tolerated in evil。
He had； or thought that he had； a connivance； one might almost say a plicity； of events in his favor； which was equivalent to the invulnerability of antiquity。
Nevertheless； when one has Beresina； Leipzig； and Fontainebleau behind one； it seems as though one might distrust Waterloo。 A mysterious frown bees perceptible in the depths of the heavens。
At the moment when Wellington retreated； Napoleon shuddered。 He suddenly beheld the table…land of Mont…Saint…Jean cleared； and the van of the English army disappear。
It was rallying； but hiding itself。
The Emperor half rose in his stirrups。 The lightning of victory flashed from his eyes。
Wellington； driven into a corner at the forest of Soignes and destroyedthat was the definitive conquest of England by France； it was Crecy； Poitiers； Malplaquet； and Ramillies avenged。 The man of Marengo was wiping out Agincourt。
So the Emperor； meditating on this terrible turn of fortune； swept his glass for the last time over all the points of the field of battle。
His guard； standing behind him with grounded arms； watched him from below with a sort of religion。
He pondered； he examined the slopes； noted the declivities； scrutinized the clumps of trees； the square of rye； the path； he seemed to be counting each bush。
He gazed with some intentness at the English barricades of the two highways；two large abatis of trees； that on the road to Genappe above La Haie…Sainte； armed with two cannon； the only ones out of all the English artillery which manded the extremity of the field of battle； and that on the road to Nivelles where gleamed the Dutch bayonets of Chasse's brigade。
Near this barricade he observed the old chapel of Saint Nicholas； painted white； which stands at the angle of the cross…road near Braine…l'Alleud； he bent down and spoke in a low voice to the guide Lacoste。
The guide made a negative sign with his head； which was probably perfidious。
The Emperor straightened himself up and fell to thinking。
Wellington had drawn back。
All that remained to do was to plete this retreat by crushing him。
Napoleon turning round abruptly； despatched an express at full speed to Paris to announce that the battle was won。
Napoleon was one of those geniuses from whom thunder darts。
He had just found his clap of thunder。
He gave orders to Milhaud's cuirassiers to carry the table…land of Mont…Saint…Jean。
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER IX
THE UNEXPECTED
There were three thousand five hundred of them。
They formed a front a quarter of a league in extent。
They were giant men； on colossal horses。
There were six and twenty squadrons of them； and they had behind them to support them Lefebvre…Desnouettes's division；the one hundred and six picked gendarmes； the light cavalry of the Guard； eleven hundred and ninety…seven men； and the lancers of the guard of eight hundred and eighty lances。 They wore casques without horse…tails； and cuirasses of beaten iron； with horse…pistols in their holsters； and long sabre…swords。 That morning the whole army had admired them； when； at nine o'clock； with braying of trumpets and all the music playing 〃Let us watch o'er the Safety of the Empire；〃 they had e in a solid column； with one of their batteries on their flank； another in their centre； and deployed in two ranks between the roads to Genappe and Frischemont； and taken up their position for battle in that powerful second line； so cleverly arranged by Napoleon； which； having on its extreme left Kellermann's cuirassiers and on its extreme right Milhaud's cuirassiers； had； so to speak； two wings of iron。
Aide…de…camp Bernard carried them the Emperor's orders。
Ney drew his sword and placed himself at their head。
The enormous squadrons were set in motion。
Then a formidable spectacle was seen。
All their cavalry； with upraised swords； standards and trumpets flung to the breeze； formed in columns by divisions； descended； by a simultaneous movement and like one man； with the precision of a brazen battering…ram which is effecting a breach； the hill of La Belle Alliance； plunged into the terrible depths in which so many men had already fallen； disappeared there in the smoke； then emerging from that shadow； reappeared on the other side of the valley； still pact and in close ranks； mounting at a full trot； through a storm of grape…shot which burst upon them； the terrible muddy slope of the table…land of Mont…Saint…Jean。 They ascended； grave； threatening； imperturbable； in the intervals between the musketry and the artillery； their colossal trampling was audible。 Being two divisions； there were two columns of them； Wathier's division held the right； Delort's division was on the left。
It seemed as though two immense adders of steel were to be seen crawling towards the crest of the table…land。 It traversed the battle like a prodigy。
Nothing like it had been seen since the taking of the great redoubt of the Muskowa by the heavy cavalry； Murat was lacking here； but Ney was again present。
It seemed as though that mass had bee a monster and had but one soul。
Each column undulated and swelled like the ring of a polyp。
They could be seen through a vast cloud of smoke which was rent here and there。
A confusion of helmets； of cries； of sabres； a stormy heaving of the cruppers of horses amid the cannons and the flourish of trumpets； a terrible and disciplined tumult； over all； the cuirasses like the scales on the hydra。
These narrations seemed to belong to another age。
Something parallel to this vision appeared； no doubt； in the ancient Orphic epics； which told of the centaurs； the old hippanthropes； those Titans with human heads and equestrian chests who scaled Olympus at a gallop； horrible； invulnerable； sublimegods and beasts。
Odd numerical coincidence；twenty…six battalions rode to meet twenty…six battalions。
Behind the crest of the plateau； in the shadow of the masked battery； the English infantry； formed into thirteen squares； two battalions to the square； in two lines； with seven in the first line； six in the second； the stocks of their guns to their shoulders； taking aim at that which was on the point of appearing； waited； calm； mute； motionless。
They did not see the cuirassiers； and the cuirassiers did not see them。 They listened to the rise of this flood of men。
They heard the swelling noise of three thousand horse； the alternate and symmetrical tramp of their hoofs at full trot； the jingling of the c