csf.thecommodore-第4部分

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udying　him　closely；　and　he　met　their　gaze　frankly。
　〃What　is　it　you　plan　for　me；　sir？〃　he　asked；　he　would　not　even　wait　for　Louis　to　make　the　first　move。
　〃The　Baltic；〃　said　Louis。
　So　that　was　it。　The　two　words　terminated　a　morning　of　wild　speculation；　tore　up　a　wide　cobweb　of　possibilities。　It　might　have　been　anywhere　in　the　world；　Java　or　Jamaica；　Cape　Horne　or　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　the　Indian　Ocean　or　the　Mediterranean；　anywhere　within　the　25；000…mile　circuit　of　the　world　where　the　British　flag　flew。　And　it　was　going　to　be　the　Baltic；　Hornblower　tried　to　sort　out　in　his　mind　what　he　knew　about　the　Baltic。　He　had　not　sailed　in　northern　waters　since　he　was　a　junior　lieutenant。
　〃Admiral　Keats　is　manding　there；　isn't　he？〃
　〃At　the　moment；　yes。　But　Saumarez　is　replacing　him。　His　orders　will　be　to　give　you　the　widest　latitude　of　discretion。〃
　That　was　a　curious　thing　to　say。　It　hinted　at　division　of　mand；　and　that　was　inherently　vicious。　Better　a　bad　mander…in…chief　than　a　divided　mand。　To　tell　a　subordinate　that　his　superior　was　under　orders　to　grant　him　wide　discretion　was　a　dangerous　thing　to　do；　unless　the　subordinate　was　a　man　of　superlative　loyalty　and　mon　sense。　Hornblower　gulped　at　that　moment　…　he　had　honestly　forgotten　temporarily　that　he　was　the　subordinate　under　consideration；　maybe　the　Admiralty　credited　him　with　'superlative　loyalty　and　mon　sense'。
　Louis　was　eyeing　him　curiously。
　〃Don't　you　want　to　hear　the　size　of　your　mand？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yes；　of　course；〃　answered　Hornblower；　but　he　did　not　mind　very　much。　The　fact　that　he　was　going　to　mand　something　was　much　more　important　than　what　he　was　going　to　mand。
　〃You'll　have　the　Nonsuch；　seventy…four；〃　said　Louis。　〃That　will　give　you　a　ship　of　force　should　you　need　one。　For　the　rest　you'll　have　all　the　small　stuff　we　can　scrape　together　for　you　…　Lotus　and　Raven；　sloops；　two　bomb…ketches；　Moth　and　Harvey；　and　the　cutter　Clam。　That's　all　so　far；　but　by　the　time　you　sail　we　might　have　some　more　ready　for　you。　We　want　you　to　be　ready　for　all　the　inshore　work　that　may　e　your　way。　There's　likely　to　be　plenty。〃
　〃I　expect　so；〃　said　Hornblower。
　〃Don't　know　whether　you'll　be　fighting　for　the　Russians　or　against　them；〃　mused　Louis。　〃Same　with　the　Swedes。　God　knows　what's　building　up；　up　there。　But　His　Nibs'll　tell　you　all　about　that。〃
　Hornblower　looked　a　question。
　〃Your　revered　brother…in…law；　the　most　noble　the　Marquis　Wellesley；　K。P。；　His　Britannic　Majesty's　Secretary　of　State　for　Foreign　Affairs。　We　call　him　His　Nibs　for　short。　We'll　walk　across　and　see　him　in　a　minute。　But　there's　something　else　important　to　settle。　Who　d'you　want　for　captain　in　Nonsuch？〃
　Hornblower　gasped　at　that。　This　was　patronage　on　a　grand　scale。　He　had　sometimes　appointed　midshipmen　and　surgeon's　mates；　a　parson　of　shady　record　had　once　hungrily　solicited　him　for　nomination　as　chaplain　in　his　ship；　but　to　have　a　say　in　the　appointment　of　a　captain　of　a　ship　of　the　line　was　something　infinitely　more　important　than　any　of　these。　There　were　120　captains　junior　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　seado