the more like a barrel of herrings,« answered Le Glorieux, »which is
the most natural resemblance for a Flemish army.«
    The jester's speech made the Duke laugh, and perhaps prevented a farther
prosecution of the altercation betwixt him and his general.
    By dint of great exertion, a small lust-haus, or country villa of some
wealthy citizen of Liege, was secured and cleared of other occupants, for the
accommodation of the Duke and his immediate attendants; and the authority of
D'Hymbercourt and Crèvecoeur at length established a guard in the vicinity, of
about forty men-at-arms, who lighted a very large fire, made with the timber of
the out-houses, which they pulled down for the purpose.
    A little to the left of this villa, and betwixt it and the suburb, which, as
we have said, was opposite to the city-gate, and occupied by the Burgundian
vanguard, lay another pleasure-house, surrounded by a garden and courtyard, and
having two or three small enclosures or fields in the rear of it. In this the
King of France established his own head-quarters. He did not himself pretend to
be a soldier further than a natural indifference to danger and much sagacity
qualified him to be called such; but he was always careful to employ the most
skilful in that profession, and reposed in them the confidence they merited.
Louis and his immediate attendants occupied this second villa; a part of his
Scottish Guard were placed in the court, where there were out-houses and sheds
to shelter them from the weather; the rest were stationed in the garden. The
remainder of the French men-at-arms were quartered closely together and in good
order, with alarm-posts stationed, in case of their having to sustain an attack.
    Dunois and Crawford, assisted by several old officers and soldiers, amongst
whom Le Balafré was conspicuous for his diligence, contrived, by breaking down
walls, making openings through hedges, filling up ditches, and the like, to
facilitate the communication of the troops with each other, and the orderly
combination of the whole in case of necessity.
    Meanwhile, the King judged it proper to go without farther ceremony to the
quarters of the Duke of Burgundy, to ascertain what was to be the order of
proceeding, and what co-operation was expected from him. His presence occasioned
a sort of council of war to be held, of which Charles might not otherwise have
dreamed.
    It was then that Quentin Durward prayed earnestly to be admitted, as having
something of importance to deliver