At the end of the first day's ride Malcolm came to the decided
conclusion that he did not like his companion, and, moreover, that
his heart was far from being in the enterprise on which they were
engaged. The following day he avoided joining him, and rode with
some of the other officers. Upon their arrival at Egra the gates
were opened at their approach, and Colonel Butler, an Irishman who
commanded the garrison, met Wallenstein as he entered, and saluted
him with all honour. Wallenstein was pleased to find that the
disaffection which had spread so rapidly through the army had not
reached Egra.
A few hours after he had entered the town Wallenstein received
the news that an Imperial edict had been issued proclaiming him
a traitor and an outlaw; he also learned that the corps under the
Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg was within a day's march of Egra. As soon
as the duke retired to his apartments Leslie sought out Colonel
Butler, and revealed to him the purposes of Wallenstein, and informed
him of the Imperial order absolving the army from their allegiance
to him. The two men, with Lieutenant Colonel Gordon, another
Imperialist officer, at once determined to capture Wallenstein and
to hand him over as a prisoner to the emperor.
In the afternoon Leslie had an interview with Wallenstein, who
told him of the near approach of the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg and
Saxe-Weimar, and informed him of his plans for advancing from Egra
direct into the heart of Bohemia.
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