csf.thecommodore-第4部分

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r　to　Hornblower；　men　of　most　distinguished　record；　whose　achievements　were　talked　of　with　bated　breath　in　the　four　quarters　of　the　world；　and　who　had　won　their　way　to　that　rank　at　the　cost　of　their　blood　and　by　the　performance　of　feats　of　skill　and　daring　unparalleled　in　history。　Certainly　half　of　these；　perhaps　more；　would　jump　at　the　suggestion　of　the　mand　of　a　seventy…four。　Hornblower　remembered　his　own　joy　at　his　appointment　to　Sutherland　two　years　ago。　Captains　on　half…pay；　captains　with　shore　appointments　eating　out　their　hearts　with　wailing　for　a　sea　mand；　it　was　in　his　power　to　change　the　whole　life　and　career　of　one　of　these。　Yet　there　was　no　hesitation　about　his　decision。　There　might　be　more　brilliant　captains　available；　captains　with　more　brains；　but　there　was　only　one　man　that　he　wanted。
　〃I'll　have　Bush；〃　he　said；　〃if　he's　available。〃
　〃You　can　have　him；〃　said　Louis；　with　a　nod。　〃I　was　expecting　you　to　ask　for　him。　That　wooden　leg　of　his　won't　be　too　serious　a　handicap；　you　think。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　said　Hornblower。　It　would　have　been　irksome　in　the　extreme　to　go　to　sea　with　any　other　captain　than　Bush。
　〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Louis；　looking　round　at　the　clock　on　the　wall。　〃Let's　walk　across　and　see　His　Nibs；　if　you've　no　objection。〃
　
　CHAPTER　THREE
　

　Hornblower　sat　in　his　private　sitting…room　in　the　Golden　Cross　inn。　There　was　a　fire　burning；　and　on　the　table　at　which　he　sat　there　were　no　fewer　than　four　wax　candles　lighted。　All　this　luxury　…　the　private　sitting…room；　the　fire；　the　wax　candles　…　gave　Hornblower　uneasy　delight。　He　had　been　poor　for　so　long；　he　had　had　to　scrape　and　economize　so　carefully　all　his　life；　that　recklessness　with　money　gave　him　this　queer　dubious　pleasure；　this　guilty　joy。　His　bill　to…morrow　would　contain　an　item　of　at　least　half　a　crown　for　light；　and　if　he　had　been　content　with　rush　dips　the　charge　would　not　have　been　more　than　twopence。　The　fire　would　be　a　shilling；　too。　And　you　could　trust　an　innkeeper　to　make　the　maximum　charges　to　a　guest　who　obviously　could　afford　them；　a　Knight　of　the　Bath；　with　a　servant；　and　a　two…horse　chariot。　To…morrow's　bill　would　be　nearer　two　guineas　than　one；　Hornblower　touched　his　breast　pocket　to　reassure　himself　that　his　thick　wad　of　one…pound　notes　was　still　there。　He　could　afford　to　spend　two　guineas　a　day。
　Reassured；　he　bent　again　to　the　notes　which　he　had　made　during　his　interview　with　the　Foreign　Secretary。　They　were　in　irregular　order；　jotted　down　as　first　one　thing　and　then　another　had　e　into　Wellesley's　mind。　It　was　quite　clear　that　not　even　the　Cabinet　knew　for　certain　whether　the　Russians　were　going　to　fight　Bonaparte　or　not。　No；　that　was　the　wrong　way　to　put　it。　Nobody　knew　whether　Bonaparte　was　going　to　fight　the　Russians　or　not。　However　much　ill　will　the　Tsar　bore　towards　the　French　…　and　obviously　it　was　great　…　he　would　not　fight　unless　he　had　to；　unless　Bonaparte　deliberately　attacked　him。　Certainly　the　Tsar　would　make　every　possible　concession　rather　than　fight；　at　least　at　present　while　he　was　still　trying　to　build　up　and　reorganize　his　army。
　〃It's　hard　to　think　Boney　will　be　mad　enough　to　pick　a　quarrel；〃　Wellesley　had　said；　〃when　he　can　get　practically　all　he　wants　without　fighting。〃
　But　if　there　was　going　to　be　war　it　was　desirable　that　England　should　have　a　striking　force　in　the　Baltic。
　〃If　Boney　chases　Alexander　out　of　Russia；　I　want　you　to　be　on　hand　to　pick　him　up；〃　said　Wellesley。　〃We　can　always　find　a　use　for　him。〃
　Kings　in　exile　were　at　least　useful　figureheads　for　any　resistance　that　might　still　be　maintained　by　countries　which　Bonaparte　had　overrun。　Under　her　protecting　wing　England　had　the　rulers　of　Sicily　and　Sardinia；　the　Netherlands　and　Portugal　and　Hesse；　all　of　them　helping　to　keep　alive　hope　in　the　bosoms　of　their　former　subjects　now　ground　beneath　the　tyrant's　heel。
　〃So　much　depends　on　Sweden；〃　was　another　remark　of　Wellesley's。　〃No　one　can　guess　what　Bernadotte　will　do。　Russia's　conquest　of　Finland　has　irritated　the　Swedes；　too。　We　try　and　point　out　to　them　that　of　the　two　Bonaparte's　the　worse　menace　to　'em。　He's　at　the　mouth　of　the　Baltic；　while　Russia's　only　at　the　top。　But　it　can't　be　fortable　for　Sweden；　having　to　choose　between　Russia　and　Bonaparte。〃
　That　was　a　pretty　tangle；　one　way　and　the　other　…　Sweden　ruled　by　a　Crown　Prince　who　only　three　years　before　had　been　a　French　general；　and　some　sort　of　connexion　by　marriage　with　Bonaparte　at　that；　Denmark　and　Norway　in　the　tyrant's　hands；　Finland　newly　conquered　by　Russia；　and　the　south　shore　of　the　Baltic　swarming　with　Bonaparte's　troops。
　〃He　has　army　camps　at　Danzig　and　Stettin；〃　Wellesley　had　said；　〃and　South　German　troops　echelonned　all　the　way　back　to　Berlin；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Prussians　and　the　Austrians　and　the　other　allies。〃
　With　Europe　at　his　feet　Bonaparte　was　able　to　drag　in　his　train　the　armies　of　his　late　enemies；　if　he　were　to　make　war　upon　Russia　it　seemed　as　though　a　substantial　part　of　his　army　would　be　foreigners　…　Italians　and　South　Germans；　Prussians　and　Austrians；　Dutchmen　and　Danes。
　〃There　are　even　Spaniards　and　Portuguese；　they　tell　me；〃　said　Wellesley。　〃I　hope　they　have　enjoyed　the　recent　winter　in　Poland。　You　speak　Spanish；　I　understand？〃
　Hornblower　had　said　〃Yes〃。
　〃And　French　too？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Russian？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃German？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Swedish？　Polish？　Lithuanian？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃A　pity。　But　most　of　the　educated　Russians　speak　French　better　than　Russian；　they　tell　me　…　although　in　that　case；　judging　by　the　Russians　I　have　met；　they　must　be　very　ignorant　of　their　own　language。　And　we　have　a　Swedish　interpreter　for　you　…　you　will　have　to　arrange　with　the　Admiralty　how　he　will　be　rated　in　the　ship's　books　…　I　believe　that　is　the　correct　nautical　expression。〃
　It　was　typical　of　Wellesley　to　put　in　that　little　sneer。　He　was　an　ex…Governor…General　of　India；　and　the　present　Foreign　Secretary；　a　man　of　blue　blood　and　of　the　height　of　fashion。　In　those　few　words　he　had　been　able　to　convey　all　his　sublime　ignorance　and　his　consequent　sublime　contempt　for　matters　nautical；　as　well　as　the　man　of　fashion's　feeling　of　lordly　superiority　over　the　uncouth　seadog；　even　when　the　seadog　in　question　happened　to　be　his　own　brother…in…law。　Hornblower　had　been　a　little　nettled；　and　was　still　feeling　sufficiently　above　himself　to　endeavour　to　irritate　Wellesley　in　return。
　〃You　are　a　master　of　all　trades；　Richard；〃　he　said；　evenly。
　It　was　just　as　well　to　remind　the　man　of　fashion　that　the　seadog　was　closely　enough　related　to　be　entitled　to　use　the　Christian　name；　and；　in　addition　to　that；　it　might　annoy　the　Marquis　to　suggest　he　had　anything　to　do　with　a　trade。
　〃Not　of　yours；　Hornblower；　I'm　afraid。　Never　could　learn　all　those　ports　and　starboards　and　back…your…lees　and　things　of　that　sort。　One　has　to　learn　those　as　a　schoolboy；　like　hic；　haec；　hoc。〃
　It　was　hard　to　prick　the　Marquis's　sublime　placency；　Hornblower　turned　away　from　that　memory　back　to　serious　business。　The　Russians　had　a　fair　navy；　as　many　as　fourteen　ships　of　the　line；　perhaps；　at　Reval　and　Kronstadt；　Sweden　nearly　as　many。　The　German　and　Pomeranian　ports　swarmed　with　French　privateers；　and　an　important　part　of　Hornblower's　duty　would　be　to　help　protect　British　shipping　from　these　wolves　of　the　sea；　for　the　Swedish　trade　was　vital　to　England。　From　the　Baltic　came　the　naval　stores　that　enabled　England　to　rule　the　sea　…　the　tar　and　the　turpentine；　the　pine　trees　for　masts；　cordage　and　timber；　rosin　and　oil。　If　Sweden　were　to　ally　herself　with　Bonaparte　against　Russia；　the　Swedish　contribution　to　the　trade　…　far　more　than　half　…　would　be　lost；　and　England　would　have　to　struggle　along　with　the　little　that　could　be　gleaned　from　Finland　and　Estonia；　convoyed　through　the　Baltic　in　the　teeth　of　the　Swedish　Navy；　and　somehow　got　out　through　the　Sound　even　though　Bonaparte　was　master　of　Denmark。　Russia　would　want　those　stores　for　her　own　navy；　and　she　must　be　persuaded；　one　way　or　another；　to　part　with　enough　to　maintain　the　British　Navy　at　sea。
　It　was　as　well　that　England　had　not　e　to　the　rescue　of　Finland　when　Russia　had　attacked　her；　if　she　had；　there　would　be　far　less　chance　of　Russia　going　to　war　with　Bonaparte。　Diplomacy　backed　by　force　might　perhaps　protect　Sweden　from　allying　herself　with　Bonaparte；　and　might　make　the　Baltic　trade　safe　and　might　open　the　North　German　coastline　to　raids　against　Bonaparte's　munications　…　under　that　sort　of　pressure；　if　by　any　miracle　Bonaparte　should　sustain　a　reverse；　even　Prussia　might　be　persuaded　to　change　sides。　That　would　be　another　of　Hornblower's　tasks；　to　help　woo　Sweden　from　her　hereditary　distrust　of　Russia；　and　to　woo　Prussia　from　her　enforced　alliance　with　France；　while　at　the　same　time　he　must　do　nothing　to　imperil　the　Baltic　trade。　A　false　step　could　mean　ruin。
　Hornblower　laid　his　notes　down　on　the　table　and　stared　unseeing　at　the　wall　across　the　room。　Fog　and　ice　and　shoals　in　the　Baltic；　the　Russian　Navy　and　the　Swedish　Navy　and　the　French　privateers；　the　Baltic　trade　and　the　Russian　alliance　and　the　attitude　of　Prussia；　high　politics　and　vital　merce；　during　the　next　few　months　the　fate　of　Europe；　the　history　of　the　world；　would　be　balanced　on　a　knife…edge；　and　the　responsibility　would　be　his。　Hornblower　felt　the　quickening　of　his　pulses；　the　tensing　of　his　muscles；　which　he　had　known　of　old　at　the　prospect　of　danger。　Nearly　a　year　had　gone　by　since　the　last　time　he　had　experienced　those　symptoms；　when　he　had　entered　the　great　cabin　of　the　Victory　to　hear　the　verdict　of　the　court　martial　which　might　have　condemned　him　to　death。　He　felt　he　did　not　like　this　promise　of　peril；　this　prospect　of　enormous　responsibility；　he　had　visualized　nothing　like　this　when　he　drove　up　at　noon　that　day　so　gaily　to　receive　his　orders。　It　would　be　for　this　that　he　would　be　leaving　Barbara's　love　and　friendship；　the　life　of　a　country　squire；　the　tranquillity　and　peace　of　his　newly…won　home。
　Yet　even　while　he　sat　there；　almost　despairing；　almost　disconsolate；　the　lure　of　the　problems　of　the　future　began　to　make　itself　felt。　He　was　being　given　a　free　hand　by　the　Admiralty　…　he　could　not　plain　on　that　score。　Reval　froze　in　December；　Kronstadt　often　in　November。　While　the　ice　lasted　he　would　have　to