The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom Chapter 18

In which our adventurer departs Vienna to accompany the young Count de Melvil to Presburg and subsequently to the military camp, where despite a feigned ardour for the soldier’s life, he languishes under the burden of ill health while navigating the rigours and politics of a martial existence. His wit and artifice serve him well amid the harsh realities of warfare, as he negotiates the siege of Philipsburg with a prudent mixture of resignation and cunning.