Les Miserables, Wilbour Translation

LET us go back, for such is the story-teller's privilege, and place ourselves in the year 1815, a little before the date of the commencement of the action narrated in the first part of this book. Had it not rained on the night of the iyth of June, 1815, the future of Europe would have been changed. A few drops of water more or less prostrated Napoleon. That Waterloo should be the end of Austerlitz, Providence needed only a little rain, and an unseasonable cloud crossing the sky sufficed for the overthrow of a world.

The battle of Waterloo and this gave Blucher time to come up could not be commenced before half -past eleven. Why? Because the ground was soft. It was necessary to wait for it to acquire some little firmness so that the artillery could manoeuvre.