Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/224

 202 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. chap, man who in such points would ever prove wanting; '• but perhaps that very reverence for the military hierarchy which had hitherto rendered him so superlatively respectful to general officers, may have made him the more liable to be shocked by the reception which Lord Lucan was giving to the order of the Commander-in-Chief. Up to this moment, however, Nolan was not so ungovernably indignant as to be guilty of more than imparting an authoritative tone to the words in which he answered Lord Lucan's denunciation of the order. ' Lord Eaglan's orders,' he said, ' are, that the 1 cavalry should attack immediately.' Then quickly, and in a tone of impatience, caused, it seems, by what he imagined to be the absurdity of the attack thus enjoined, Lord Lucan said to Nolan, ' Attack, sir ! attack what ? What ' guns, sir ? ' * This angry, impatient question was destined to put an end to all prospect of eliciting from Nolan any quiet explanation of the mission with which he came charged, or any of that priceless infor- mation in regard to the enemy's position which, coming as he did from high ground, the aide-de- camp was well able to give. To use the homely, nay feminine, language which describes the action of the emotional forces, Lord Lucan's words ' set 1 Nolan going.' Throwing his head back, and pointing with his hand in a direction which Lord to his speech in the House of Lords, his words were, ' Where ' and what to do?'
 * I here follow Lord I mean's written narrative. According