Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/426

 400 COUNSELS ENDING IN THE CHAP. DuriniJ the conversation, ^Tarslial St Arnaud ' sat rigidly up in an armed chair, and to some who M^rsi"d observed it his bearing conveyed an impression stArnaiui. ^^^^^ -j^q wishcd to givc to the interview an ap- pearance of formality ; but Lord Piaglan perceived the truth. He had no sooner left the French camp than he said to one of liis Staff, ' Did you ' observe St Arnaud ? — he is dying.' This was the last time that the two chiefs con- ferred upon the business of the campaign. When Lord Iiaglan visited the French Headquarters on the followinfT mornino- he found that the Marshal was no longer in a condition to be able to take part in affairs. The (iccisioM The dccision the chiefs had come to was this : — tiie ciiiefs that unless the reconnaissance which Lord Ea<?lan caiiie. was to make on the morrow should disclose good reasons for changing the plan, the English army first (to be followed in due time by the French) should endeavour to push round the head of the Sebastopol roadstead by gaining the ^Mackenzie Heights, with intention to descend thence into the valley of the Tchernaya, and recover com- munication with the sea by seizing the harbour of Balaclava. I'robai.io At the time, it was hard to account for the Ma'rs*iiars '^^ jNFarshal's unwillingness to go on with the task I"ss'to"°' of assailing the Star Fort, as well as for his ready star Fori: acccptauce of an alternative plan which, for the moment, would throw the leadership of the Allied army into the hands of his English colleague ; and Lord Kaiilan acknowledired to Sir luhnund