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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 t