192 THE COUNSELS OF THE ALLIES. ' hand, we must know that, for some time at least, ' we cannot hope to receive accessions of strength ' at all proportioned to those which the army of ' Bessarabia will afford to the liussian Com- ' mander* Therefore, so far as concerns the rel-
- ative strengtli of our armies in point of num-
' bers, lapse of time will be telling against us. ' Even more will delay tell against us in reduc- ' inf>- our moral ascendant. It is almost certain
- that an enemy who has undergone a great defeat
« — a defeat which obviously dislocated his wliole ' scheme of defence — must above all things necnl ' time and respite. Are we to give him what ' most he wants ? Your victory on the Ahna gave you a mighty power, but a power which was vastly greater last week than it is now — a power which will be less the day after to-mor- ' row than it is to-day — a power which will dwindle to nothing if it is not to be exerted till ' the middle of next mouth ; for the Russians are a firm, courageous people ; and as soon as they ' shall have filled up the chasms, and repaired the ' confusion which the defeat inflicted upon them,
- they will be vastly more formidable than it is
• possible for them to be at this moment. • It is a common saying in war, that when, for ' the defence of a stronghold, a pitched battle is ' ventured and lost, the place falls ; but this
- The souiiduesR of lliis view was soon afterwards proved by
the result; but there was nothing in the imaginary prediction which might not have been inferred from known facts so early as the closing days of September.
