Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/146

1 1 G IIEnOIC KESISTAN'CE OF SEBASTOPOL CHAP, own mind from the pursuit of things not to the • purpose, Colonel de Todleben, after a time, grew strong enough to be able to repress in others any inclination to wander from the true path. It was at Korniloff's table that lie achieved this. There was mention there, one day, of a ianciful method which some projector had imagined for the de- fence of the phice ; and Korniloff seemed to be interested by the suggestion. Colonel de Tod- leben interposed. * There ought/ he spoke to this purport — ' there ought to be no listening ' to suggestions of this kind. The way of doing ' what is possible towards defending tlio place ' lies clear before us. We must not make waste ' of our time, and disperse our energies by think- ' ing of other plans. All the minutes we have we ' want' And all the commanders and officers on duty had been made so wise by the discipline of imminent peril, that they bowed to the words of the great volunteer thus laying his weight on their counsels. Thenceforth his strong sense did more than prevail. It prevailed without ques- tion. He had made it supreme. Tprfpct When the Russian field army undertook its tweenKonii- flaulc march. Colonel de Todleben remained at Todleben. Scbastopol. Admiral Korniloff and he had come exert^erby ^0 bc as ouc man. They lived in the same room, jiiut'poweis. What Todleben judged to be right, the Admiral impelled men to do. If Korniloff was the soul of the cause, the great Engineer was its mind. Whilst the sentiment which Korniloff inspired was one so exalted that men might call it holy.