and at the same time feeling the most absolute confidence in his protection, she
soon fell placidly asleep. The foremost subject of her anxiety and sorrow was
now removed; her lover had been restored to her hopes; and her dreams were no
longer haunted with horrors. Yet, at the same time, the turbulence of joy, and
of hope fulfilled unexpectedly, had substituted its own disturbances; and her
sleep was often interrupted. But, as often as that happened, she had the
delightful pleasure of seeing her lover's figure, with its martial equipments,
and the drooping plumes of his yager barrette, as he took his station at her
carriage, traced out on the ground in the bright glare of the flambeaux. She
awoke, therefore, continually to the sense of restored happiness; and at length
fell finally asleep, to wake no more until the morning trumpet, at the break of
day, proclaimed the approaching preparations for the general movement of the
camp.
    Snow had fallen in the night. Towards four o'clock in the morning, amongst
those who held that watch, there had been a strong apprehension that it would
fall heavily. But that state of the atmosphere had passed off; and it had not in
fact fallen sufficiently to abate the cold, or much to retard their march.
According to the usual custom of the camp, a general breakfast was prepared, at
which all without distinction messed together - a sufficient homage being
expressed to superior rank by resigning the upper part of every table to those
who had any distinguished pretensions of that kind. On this occasion, Paulina
had the gratification of seeing the public respect offered in the most marked
manner to her lover. He had retired about daybreak to take an hour's repose, -
for she found, from her attendants, with mingled vexation and pleasure, that he
had not fulfilled his promise of retiring at an earlier hour, in consequence of
some renewed appearances of a suspicious kind in the woods. In his absence, she
heard a resolution proposed and carried amongst the whole body of veteran
officers attached to the party, that the chief military command should be
transferred to Maximilian, not merely as a distinguished favourite of the
Emperor, but also, and much more, as one of the most brilliant cavalry officers
in the Imperial service. This resolution was communicated to him on his taking
the place reserved for him at the head of the principal breakfast-table; and
Paulina thought that he had never appeared more interesting or truly worthy of
admiration than under that exhibition of courtesy and modest dignity with which
he first earnestly declined the honour