csf.thecommodore-第34部分

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erry　at　Stockholm。　I'm　glad　Wellesley　sent　him　out。〃
　Certainly　this　despatch　was　better　worded　than　the　last　Hornblower　had　received；　nor　did　Cathcart　presume　to　give　order　to　the　modore。
　〃You　will　be　going　on　in　Clam　to　England；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃I　must　ask　you　to　wait　while　I　plete　my　own　despatches　for　the　Admiralty。〃
　〃Naturally；〃　said　Wychwood。
　〃It　will　only　be　a　matter　of　minutes；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃Perhaps　Captain　Bush　will　entertain　you　while　you　are　waiting。　Doubtless　there　are　many　letters　awaiting　carriage　to　England。　Meanwhile；　I　am　sending　my　secretary　back　to　England　in　Clam　too。　I　shall　put　in　your　charge　the　papers　relative　to　his　case。〃
　Alone　in　his　cabin；　Hornblower　opened　his　desk　and　found　himself　pen　and　ink。　There　was　little　enough　to　add　to　his　official　despatch。　He　read　the　last　words　…　'I　wish　most　strongly　to　call　Their　Lordships'　attention　to　the　conduct　and　professional　ability　of　mander　William　Vickery　and　Lieutenant　Percival　Mound。'　Then　he　began　a　new　paragraph。　'I　am　taking　the　opportunity　of　the　departure　of　Clam　to　England　to　forward　this　letter　to　you。　In　accordance　with　the　remendation　of　His　Excellency　Lord　Cathcart；　I　shall　proceed　at　once　with　the　rest　of　my　squadron　to　render　all　the　assistance　in　my　power　to　the　Russian　forces　at　Riga。'　He　thought　for　a　moment　of　adding　some　conventional　expression　like　'I　trust　this　course　of　action　will　meet　with　Their　Lordships'　approval'；　and　then　put　the　notion　aside。　It　meant　nothing；　was　merely　waste　verbiage。　He　dipped　his　pen　again　and　merely　wrote；　'I　have　the　honour　to　be；　Your　obed't　servant；　Horatio　Hornblower；　Captain　and　modore'。
　He　closed　the　letter；　shouting　for　Brown　as　he　did　so。　While　he　wrote　the　address　…　Edward　Nepean；　Esq。；　Secretary　to　the　Lords　missioners　of　the　Admiralty　…　Brown　brought　him　a　candle　and　sealing　wax；　and　he　sealed　the　letter　and　laid　it　on　one　side。　Then　he　took　another　sheet　and　began　to　write　again。
　
　H。M。S。　Nonsuch；　IN　THE　BALTIC
　MY　DEAR　WIFE；
　The　cutter　waits　for　me　to　plete　my　correspondence　for　England；　and　I　have　only　time　to　write　these　few　lines　to　add　to　the　other　letters　which　have　been　awaiting　an　opportunity　to　make　the　voyage。　I　am　in　the　best　of　health；　and　the　progress　of　the　campaign　remains　satisfactory。　The　great　news　of　the　outbreak　of　war　between　Bonaparte　and　Russia　has　just　reached　me。　I　hope　that　the　event　will　prove　this　to　be　Bonaparte's　worst　mistake；　but　I　can　only　anticipate　long　and　costly　fighting；　with　small　possibility　of　my　returning　to　your　dear　presence；　at　least　until　the　freezing　of　the　harbours　makes　further　operations　in　these　waters　impracticable。
　I　trust　most　sincerely　that　you　are　well　and　happy；　and　that　the　rigours　of　the　London　season　have　not　proved　too　trying　for　you。　I　like　to　think　of　the　good　air　of　Smallbridge　restoring　the　roses　to　your　cheeks；　so　that　the　vagaries　of　costumiers　and　milliners　will　not　exact　too　excessive　a　toll　of　your　health　and　peace　of　mind。
　Also　I　trust　that　Richard　is　porting　himself　towards　you　with　the　duty　and　obedience　you　expect；　and　that　his　teeth　have　continued　to　make　their　appearance　with　as　little　disturbance　as　possible。　It　would　be　a　great　delight　to　me　if　he　were　old　enough　to　write　to　me　himself；　especially　if　that　would　give　me　further　news　of　you；　only　a　letter　from　you　yourself　could　give　me　greater　pleasure。　It　is　my　hope　that　soon　letters　will　reach　me　from　England；　and　that　it　will　be　my　happiness　to　hear　that　all　is　well　with　you。
　When　next　you　see　your　brother；　Lord　Wellesley；　I　trust　you　will　give　him　my　duty　and　respects。　For　you　I　reserve　my　whole　love。
　Your　affectionate　husband
　HORATIO
　
　Wychwood　took　the　letters　Hornblower　gave　him；　and　wrote　out　a　receipt　on　Bush's　desk　with　Bush's　pen。　Then　he　held　out　his　hand。
　〃Good…bye；　sir；〃　he　said；　and　hesitated；　then；　with　a　rush；　he　added；　〃God　knows　how　this　war　will　turn　out。　I　expect　the　Russians'll　be　beaten。　But　you　have　done　more　than　any　one　man　to　bring　the　war　about。　You've　done　your　whole　duty；　sir。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Hornblower。
　He　was　in　a　disturbed　and　unsettled　mood；　he　stood　on　the　quarter…deck　of　the　Nonsuch　while　over　his　head　the　ensign　was　dipped　in　a　parting　salute　to　the　Clam；　and　he　watched　the　cutter　sail　off　towards　England。　He　watched　her　until　she　was　out　of　sight；　while　Nonsuch　put　up　her　helm　and　bore　away　for　Riga　and　whatever　new　adventures　awaited　him　there。　He　knew　quite　well　what　was　the　matter　with　him；　he　was　homesick；　plunged　into　a　storm　of　emotional　disturbance　as　always　was　when　he　wrote　home；　and；　oddly　enough；　Wychwood's　last　words　added　to　his　disturbance。　They　had　reminded　him　of　the　terrible　load　of　responsibility　that　he　bore。　The　future　of　the　world　and　the　survival　of　his　country　would　be　profoundly　affected　by　his　doings。　Should　this　Russian　adventure　end　in　defeat　and　disaster　everyone　anxious　to　shuffle　off　responsibility　would　blame　him。　He　would　be　condemned　as　inept　and　shortsighted。　He　even　found　himself　envying　Braun　now　on　his　way　back　to　London；　under　arrest　and　awaiting　probable　trial　and　possible　execution；　and　he　remembered　with　longing　his　petty　troubles　at　Smallbridge；　he　smiled　at　himself　when　he　recalled　that　his　heaviest　burden　there　had　been　to　receive　a　deputation　of　wele　from　the　village。　He　thought　of　Barbara's　ready　sympathy；　of　the　intense　pleasure　he　had　known　when　it　first　dawned　upon　him　that　Richard　loved　him；　and　enjoyed　and　looked　forward　to　his　pany。　Here　he　had　to　be　content　with　Bush's　unthinking　loyalty　and　the　precarious　admiration　of　the　young　officers。
　Recalling　himself　to　reality；　he　forced　himself　to　remember　with　what　a　bubble　of　excitement　he　had　received　his　orders　back　to　active　service；　the　light　heart　with　which　he　had　left　his　child；　the　feeling　of　…　there　was　no　blinking　the　matter　…　emancipation　with　which　he　had　parted　from　his　wife。　The　prospect　of　once　more　being　entirely　his　own　master；　of　not　having　to　defer　to　Barbara's　wishes；　of　not　being　dismoded　by　Richard's　teeth；　had　seemed　most　attractive　then。　And　here　he　was　plaining　to　himself　about　the　burden　of　responsibility；　when　responsibility　was　the　inevitable　price　one　had　to　pay　for　independence；　irresponsibility　was　something　which；　in　the　very　nature　of　things；　could　not　co…exist　with　independence。　This　was　all　very　well　and　logical；　but　there　was　no　blinking　the　fact　that　he　wished　he　were　home；　he　could　conjure　up　in　imagination　so　vividly　the　touch　of　Barbara's　hand　on　his　own　that　it　was　an　acute　disappointment　to　realize　that　it　was　only　in　imagination。　He　wanted　to　have　Richard　on　his　knee　again；　shrieking　with　laughter　over　the　colossal　joke　of　having　his　nose　pinched。　And　he　did　not　want　to　imperil　his　reputation；　his　liberty；　and　his　life　in　bined　operations　with　these　unpredictable　Russians　in　a　God…forsaken　corner　of　the　world　like　Riga。　Yet　then　and　there　…　his　interest　rousing　itself　spontaneously　…　he　decided　that　he　had　better　go　below　and　re…read　the　Sailing　Directions　for　Riga；　and　a　close　study　of　the　chart　of　Riga　Bay　might　be　desirable；　too。
　
　CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN
　
　The　Northern　Continental　summer　had　e　speedily；　as　ever。　Last　week　at　Pillau　there　had　still　been　a　decided　touch　of　winter　in　the　air。　To…day；　with　Riga　just　over　the　horizon；　it　was　full　summer。　This　blazing　heat　would　have　done　credit　to　the　doldrums　were　it　not　for　an　invigorating　quality　which　the　tropics　never　knew。　A　brassy　sun　shone　down　from　a　cloudless　sky；　although　there　was　just　enough　mist　to　leave　the　distant　horizon　undefined。　There　was　a　gentle　two…knot　breeze　blowing　from　the　south…west；　just　enough　wind　to　give　Nonsuch　bare　steerage…way　with　all　her　canvas　set；　studding…sails　on　both　sides　to　the　royals。　The　squadron　was　making　the　best　speed　it　could；　with　Lotus　hull…down　on　the　starboard　bow；　Raven　close　astern；　and　the　two　bomb…ketches　trailing　far　behind；　even　the　clumsy　Nonsuch　could　outsail　them　in　the　prevailing　conditions。
　Everything　was　very　peaceful。　Forward　a　party　of　seamen　under　the　sailmaker's　supervision　were　overhauling　a　mainsail　for　repair。　In　the　waist　another　party　was　dragging　a　'bear'　up　and　down　the　deck　…　a　huge　coir　mat　weighted　down　with　sand　which　could　scrub　the　planking　more　effectively　than　holystones　could　do。　On　the　quarter…deck　the　sailing…master　was　holding　a　class　in　navigation；　his　mates　and　the　midshipmen　standing　round　him　in　a　semicircle；　their　sextants　in　their　hands。　Hornblower　walked　near　enough　to　hear　one　of　the　midshipmen；　a　mere　child　whose　voice　had　not　broken；　piping　up　a　reply　to　the　question　just　shot　at　him。
　〃The　parallax　of　an　object　is　measured　by　an　arc　of　a　vertical　circle　intercepted　between　a　line　extended　from　the　centre　of　the　earth　and　a　line　…　and　a　line　…　a　line　…〃
　The　midshipman　suddenly　became　conscious　of　the　awful　proximity　of　the　modore。　His　voice　quavered　and　died　away。　So　far　he　had　been　quoting　Node's　Epitome　of　Navigation　with　word…perfect　exactitude。　It　was　young　Gerard；　nephew　of　the　second　lieutenant　of　the　Sutherland；　whom　Bush　had　taken　into　his　ship　for　the　sake　of　his　uncle；　still　languishing　in　a　French　prison。　The　sailing…master's　brows　drew　together　in　a　frown。
　〃e；　e；　Mr　Gerard；〃　he　said。
　Hornblower　had　a　sudden　mental　picture　of　young　Gerard　bent　over　the　breech　of　a　gun　while　a　lithe　cane　taught　him　at　least　the　necessity　of　knowing　Norie's　Epitome　by　heart。　He　intervened　in　hurried　pity。
　〃'Between　a　line　extended　from　the　centre　of　the　earth'；〃　he　said；　over　Gerard's　shoulder；　〃'and　a　line　extended　from　the　eye　of　the　observer；　through　the　centre　of　the　object。'　Is　that　correct；　Mr　Tooth？〃
　〃Quite　correct；　sir；〃　said　the　sailing…master。
　〃I　think　Mr　Gerard　knew　it　all　the　time。　Didn't　you；　youngster？〃
　〃Y　…　yes；　sir。〃
　〃I　thought　so。　I　was　just　your　age　when　I　learned　that　same　passage。〃
　Hornblower　resumed　his　walk；　hoping　that　he　had　saved　Gerard's　skinny　posterior　from　punishment。　A　sudden　scurrying　by　the　midshipman　of　the　watch　to　grab　slate　and　pencil　told　him　that　one　of　the　squadron　was　making　a　signal；　and　two　minutes　later　the　midshipman　saluted　him；　message　in　hand。
　〃Lotus　to　modore。　Land　in　sight　bearing　South。〃
　That　would　be　Pitraga　Cape；　the　southern　headland　of　the　entrance　to　the　Gulf　of　Riga。
　〃Reply　'Heave　to　and　await　modore'；〃　said　Hornblower。
　If　the　weather　were　not　so　thick　the　island　of　Oesel　ought　to　be　just　in　sight　to　the　northward　from　the　masthead。　They　were　just　passing　the　threshold　of　a　new　adventure。　Some　seventy　miles　ahead；　at　the　bottom　of　the　gulf；　lay　Riga；　presumably　even　now　being　assailed　by　the　armies　of　Bonaparte。　With　this　mere　pretence　of　a　wind　it　would　be　a　couple　of　days　before　he　reached　there。　The　fact　that　they　were　entering　Russian　waters　again　was　making　not　the　least　ripple　on　the　placid　surface　of　the　ship's　life。　Everything　was　progressing　as　before；　yet　Hornblower　felt　in　his　bones　that　many　of　the　men　now　entering　the　Gulf　of　Riga　would　never　e　out　from　it；　even　if　any　should。　Even　with　this　hot　sun　blazing　down　upon　him；　under　this　radiant　sky；　Hornblower　felt　a　sudden　chill　of　foreboding　which　it　was　hard　to　throw　off。　He　himself　…　it　was　curious　to　think　that　his　dead　body　might　be　buried