330 THE BEARING OF THE WAR i H A P. her invaders abandon their conquests made on the XII ' Alma, saw them slowly descend from the vantage- ground of the Mackenzie Heights, saw them coldly 1 lay siege ' to the more than half-open town left deserted (as they themselves saw) by Mentschi- koff' s fugitive army, and then day by day, week by week, saw the genius of Todleben forcing them to expiate their hapless resolves ; so that having first utterly wasted the precious fruit of their victories, they now, after six months of trench- work, stood faltering and baffled before him. But this was not all, was not even perhaps the worst part of that distressing predicament in which the Allies had contrived to plant their now powerful armies ; for, whilst failing to carry Sebastopol, and even losing ground in their efforts, they also, we know, were so circumstanced as to be unable to raise the siege. They, or more strictly speaking a part of them, which was not to have a less strength than 90,000 men,* stood picketed fast in the front of an uninvested for- tress drawing men and supplies without stint from the powerful Empire of Russia, and held fast too on ground which no man, if he could help it, would ever choose as a battle-field. With forces thus not only baffled, but held in strict, perilous durance, the Western Powers of course were under strong, tempting motives, which, un- less counterbalanced by any opposing reasons, might well make them look somewhat wistfully at a prospect of peace ; and especially might this
- See ante, chap. xi.
