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The Hanoverians lined this balustrade and fired from above。
The infantry men； replying from below； six against two hundred； intrepid and with no shelter save the currant…bushes； took a quarter of an hour to die。
One mounts a few steps and passes from the garden into the orchard； properly speaking。
There； within the limits of those few square fathoms； fifteen hundred men fell in less than an hour。 The wall seems ready to renew the bat。
Thirty…eight loopholes； pierced by the English at irregular heights； are there still。 In front of the sixth are placed two English tombs of granite。 There are loopholes only in the south wall； as the principal attack came from that quarter。
The wall is hidden on the outside by a tall hedge； the French came up； thinking that they had to deal only with a hedge； crossed it； and found the wall both an obstacle and an ambuscade； with the English guards behind it； the thirty…eight loopholes firing at once a shower of grape…shot and balls； and Soye's brigade was broken against it。
Thus Waterloo began。
Nevertheless； the orchard was taken。
As they had no ladders； the French scaled it with their nails。
They fought hand to hand amid the trees。
All this grass has been soaked in blood。 A battalion of Nassau； seven hundred strong； was overwhelmed there。 The outside of the wall； against which Kellermann's two batteries were trained； is gnawed by grape…shot。
This orchard is sentient； like others； in the month of May。 It has its buttercups and its daisies； the grass is tall there； the cart…horses browse there； cords of hair； on which linen is drying； traverse the spaces between the trees and force the passer…by to bend his head； one walks over this uncultivated land； and one's foot dives into mole…holes。 In the middle of the grass one observes an uprooted tree…bole which lies there all verdant。 Major Blackmann leaned against it to die。
Beneath a great tree in the neighborhood fell the German general； Duplat； descended from a French family which fled on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes。 An aged and falling apple…tree leans far over to one side； its wound dressed with a bandage of straw and of clayey loam。 Nearly all the apple…trees are falling with age。
There is not one which has not had its bullet or its biscayan。＇6＇ The skeletons of dead trees abound in this orchard。
Crows fly through their branches； and at the end of it is a wood full of violets。
＇6＇ A bullet as large as an egg。
Bauduin； killed； Foy wounded； conflagration； massacre； carnage； a rivulet formed of English blood； French blood； German blood mingled in fury； a well crammed with corpses； the regiment of Nassau and the regiment of Brunswick destroyed； Duplat killed； Blackmann killed； the English Guards mutilated； twenty French battalions； besides the forty from Reille's corps； decimated； three thousand men in that hovel of Hougomont alone cut down； slashed to pieces； shot； burned； with their throats cut；and all this so that a peasant can say to…day to the traveller：
Monsieur； give me three francs； and if you like； I will explain to you the affair of Waterloo！
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER III
THE EIGHTEENTH OF JUNE； 1815
Let us turn back；that is one of the story…teller's rights； and put ourselves once more in the year 1815； and even a little earlier than the epoch when the action narrated in the first part of this book took place。
If it had not rained in the night between the 17th and the 18th of June； 1815； the fate of Europe would have been different。 A few drops of water； more or less； decided the downfall of Napoleon。 All that Providence required in order to make Waterloo the end of Austerlitz was a little more rain； and a cloud traversing the sky out of season sufficed to make a world crumble。
The battle of Waterloo could not be begun until half…past eleven o'clock； and that gave Blucher time to e up。
Why？
Because the ground was wet。
The artillery had to wait until it became a little firmer before they could manoeuvre。
Napoleon was an artillery officer； and felt the effects of this。 The foundation of this wonderful captain was the man who； in the report to the Directory on Aboukir； said：
Such a one of our balls killed six men。
All his plans of battle were arranged for projectiles。 The key to his victory was to make the artillery converge on one point。 He treated the strategy of the hostile general like a citadel； and made a breach in it。
He overwhelmed the weak point with grape…shot； he joined and dissolved battles with cannon。
There was something of the sharpshooter in his genius。
To beat in squares； to pulverize regiments； to break lines； to crush and disperse masses；for him everything lay in this； to strike； strike； strike incessantly； and he intrusted this task to the cannon…ball。 A redoubtable method； and one which； united with genius； rendered this gloomy athlete of the pugilism of war invincible for the space of fifteen years。
On the 18th of June； 1815； he relied all the more on his artillery； because he had numbers on his side。
Wellington had only one hundred and fifty…nine mouths of fire； Napoleon had two hundred and forty。
Suppose the soil dry； and the artillery capable of moving； the action would have begun at six o'clock in the morning。 The battle would have been won and ended at two o'clock； three hours before the change of fortune in favor of the Prussians。 What amount of blame attaches to Napoleon for the loss of this battle？ Is the shipwreck due to the pilot？
Was it the evident physical decline of Napoleon that plicated this epoch by an inward diminution of force？
Had the twenty years of war worn out the blade as it had worn the scabbard； the soul as well as the body？
Did the veteran make himself disastrously felt in the leader？
In a word； was this genius； as many historians of note have thought； suffering from an eclipse？
Did he go into a frenzy in order to disguise his weakened powers from himself？ Did he begin to waver under the delusion of a breath of adventure？ Had he beea grave matter in a generalunconscious of peril？ Is