csf.thecommodore-第45部分

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　noticeable　now　…　it　even　seemed　as　if　the　theatre　itself　were　vibrating　gently　to　the　heavy　concussions。　He　kept　his　head　and　neck　still；　and　stole　a　glance　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye　at　the　Governor　beside　him；　but　the　Governor　seemed　to　be　still　entirely　engrossed　in　watching　Mme　Nicolas。　Yet　the　firing　was　very　heavy。　Somewhere　not　very　far　away　big　guns　were　being　fired　rapidly　and　in　large　numbers。　His　first　thought　was　for　his　ships；　but　he　knew　them　to　be　safe；　anchored　at　the　mouth　of　the　Dwina；　and　if　the　wind　was　still　in　the　direction　it　was　blowing　when　he　entered　the　theatre　Bush　could　get　them　out　of　harm's　way　whatever　happened；　even　if　Riga　were　taken　by　storm　that　very　hour。
　The　audience　was　taking　its　cue　from　the　Governor；　and　as　he　refused　to　allow　the　gunfire　to　distract　him　everyone　made　a　brave　attempt　to　appear　unconcerned。　But　everyone　in　the　box；　at　least；　felt　tightened　nerves　when　rapid　steps　outside　in　the　stone…flagged　corridor；　to　the　acpaniment　of　the　ringing　of　spurs；　heralded　the　entrance　of　an　orderly　officer；　who　came　in　and　whispered　hurriedly　to　the　Governor。　Essen　dismissed　him　with　a　few　words；　and　only　when　he　had　gone；　and　after　a　minute's　interval　which　seemed　like　an　hour；　leaned　over　to　Hornblower　with　the　news。
　〃The　French　have　tried　to　take　Daugavgriva　by　a　coup　de　main；〃　he　explained。　〃There　is　no　chance　of　their　succeeding。〃
　That　was　the　village　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Dwina；　in　the　angle　between　the　sea　and　the　river；　the　natural　first　objective　for　a　besieging　force　that　was　desirous　of　cutting　off　the　town　from　all　hope　of　relief　by　sea。　It　was　nearly　an　island；　with　the　Gulf　of　Riga　covering　one　flank；　and　the　mile…wide　Dwina　river　covering　the　rear；　while　the　rest　was　girt　by　marshes　and　ditches　and　protected　by　breastworks　thrown　up　by　the　peasant　labour　called　in　from　miles　round。　The　French　would　be　likely　to　try　a　direct　assault　upon　the　place；　because　success　would　save　them　weeks　of　tedious　siege　operations；　and　they　had　no　knowledge　as　yet　of　whether　or　not　the　Russians　were　able　or　willing　to　offer　effective　resistance。　This　was　the　first　time　Macdonald　had　encountered　any　serious　opposition　since　he　had　begun　his　advance　across　Lithuania　…　the　main　Russian　armies　were　contesting　the　road　to　Moscow　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Smolensk。　Hornblower　had　inspected　the　works　that　very　morning；　had　observed　the　strength　of　the　place　and　the　steady　appearance　of　the　Russian　grenadiers　who　garrisoned　it；　and　had　formed　the　conclusion　that　it　was　safe　against　anything　except　systematic　siege。　Yet　he　wished　he　could　be　as　sublimely　confident　about　it　as　the　Governor　was。
　On　the　other　hand；　everything　possible　had　already　been　done。　If　the　village　fell；　it　fell；　and　nothing　more　serious　had　happened　than　the　loss　of　an　outwork。　If　the　attack　were　beaten　off　there　could　be　no　question　of　following　up　the　success；　not　while　Macdonald　disposed　of　60；000　men　and　the　Russians　of　15；000　at　most。　Of　course　Macdonald　was　bound　to　attempt　a　coup　de　main　upon　Daugavgriva。　It　was　interesting　to　speculate　what　would　be　his　next　move　should　the　assault　fail。　He　might　march　up　the　river　and　endeavour　to　force　a　passage　above　the　town；　although　that　meant　plunging　into　a　roadless　tangle　of　marsh　and　attempting　a　crossing　at　a　place　where　he　would　find　no　boats。　Or　he　might　try　the　other　plan　and　use　the　boats　which　had　fallen　into　his　hands　at　Mitau　to　pass　a　force　across　the　mouth　of　the　river；　leaving　Daugavgriva　untaken　while　he　pelled　the　Russians　in　Riga　to　choose　between　ing　out　and　fighting　the　landing　party；　or　retreating　towards　St　Petersburg；　or　being　shut　in　pletely　in　the　town。　It　was　hard　to　guess　what　he　would　decide　on。　Certainly　Macdonald　had　sent　out　Jussey　to　reconnoitre　the　river　mouth；　and　although　he　had　lost　his　chief　engineer　in　doing　so　he　might　still　be　tempted　by　the　prospect　of　being　able　to　continue　immediately　his　advance　on　St　Petersburg。
　Hornblower　came　back　to　himself；　delighted　to　find　that　he　had　missed　in　his　abstraction　some　substantial　amount　of　the　ballet。　He　did　not　know　how　long　his　absent…mindedness　had　endured；　but　it　must　be；　he　thought；　for　some　considerable　time。　The　gunfire　had　ceased；　either　the　assault　had　failed　or　had　been　pletely　successful。
　At　that　very　moment　the　door　opened　to　admit　another　orderly　officer　with　a　whispered　message　for　the　Governor。
　〃The　attack　has　been　beaten　off；〃　said　Essen　to　Hornblower。　〃Yakoulev　reports　his　men　have　hardly　suffered　at　all；　and　the　front　of　the　place　is　covered　with　French　and　German　dead。〃
　That　was　to　be　expected；　granted　the　failure　of　the　attack。　The　losses　would　be　dreadful　in　an　unsuccessful　assault。　Macdonald　had　gambled；　risking　a　couple　of　thousand　lives　against　a　speedy　end　to　the　siege；　and　he　had　lost。　Yet　an　Imperial　army　would　be　exasperated　rather　than　depressed　by　such　a　preliminary　reverse。　The　defence　could　expect　further　vigorous　attacks　at　any　moment。
　It　was　wonderful　to　discover　that　he　had　managed　to　sit　through　another　whole　ballet　without　noticing　it。　Here　was　another　entr'acte；　with　the　light　shining　into　the　box；　and　the　opportunity　to　stand　and　stretch　one's　legs；　it　was　even　delightful　to　exchange　polite　banalities　in　French　tinged　with　half　the　accents　of　Europe。　When　the　entr'acte　ended　Hornblower　was　quite　reconciled　to　reseating　himself　and　bracing　himself　to　endure　one　more　ballet；　yet　the　curtain　had　only　just　risen　when　he　felt　himself　heavily　nudged　in　the　thigh　by　Essen；　who　rose　and　made　his　way　out　of　the　box　with　Hornblower　at　his　heels。
　〃We　may　as　well　go　and　see；〃　said　Essen；　the　moment　they　stood　outside　the　closed　door　of　the　box。　〃It　would　not　have　been　well　to　get　up　and　go　when　the　firing　began。　But　the　people　will　not　know　now　that　we　left　in　haste。〃
　Outside　the　theatre　a　troop　of　hussars　sat　their　horses；　while　two　grooms　stood　at　the　heads　of　two　more　horses；　and　Hornblower　realized　that　he　was　mitted　to　riding　in　his　full…dress　uniform。　It　was　not　the　serious　business　it　used　to　be；　though；　Hornblower　thought　with　pleasure　of　his　dozen　reserve　pairs　of　silk　stockings　stored　away　in　Nonsuch。　Essen　climbed　on　to　his　horse；　and　Hornblower　followed　his　example。　The　bright　full　moon　filled　the　square　with　light；　as；　with　the　escort　following；　they　trotted　clattering　over　the　cobbles。　Two　turns　and　a　moderate　descent　brought　them　to　the　big　floating　bridge　that　spanned　the　Dwina；　the　roadway　across　the　pontoons　drummed　hollow　beneath　the　horses'　hoofs。　Across　the　river　a　road　ran　on　the　top　of　a　high　levée　beside　the　water；　on　the　far　side　the　land　was　cut　and　seamed　with　ditches　and　ponds；　around　which　twinkled　innumerable　camp…fires；　and　here　Essen　halted　and　gave　an　order　which　sent　the　hussar　officer　and　half　the　escort　riding　ahead　of　them。
　〃I　have　no　desire　to　be　shot　by　my　own　men；〃　explained　Essen。　〃Sentries　will　be　nervous；　and　riding　into　a　village　that　has　just　suffered　a　night　attack　will　be　as　dangerous　as　storming　a　battery。〃
　Hornblower　was　too　preoccupied　to　appreciate　the　point　very　much。　His　sword　and　his　ribbon　and　star　and　his　cocked　hat　added　to　his　usual　difficulty　of　retaining　his　seat　on　horseback；　and　he　bumped　ungracefully　in　his　saddle；　sweating　profusely　in　the　cool　night；　and　grabbing　spasmodically　at　items　of　his　equipment　whenever　he　could　spare　a　hand　from　his　reins。　They　were　challenged　repeatedly　as　they　rode　along；　but　despite　Essen's　gloomy　prognostication　no　jumpy　sentry　fired　at　them。　Finally　they　drew　up　in　reply　to　another　challenge　at　a　point　where　the　dome　of　the　church　of　Daugavgriva　stood　up　black　against　the　pale　sky。　With　the　cessation　of　the　noise　of　the　horses'　hoofs　a　fresh　sound　claimed　Hornblower's　attention；　a　wailing　clamour　coloured　by　high　agonized　screams；　a　whole　chorus　of　groans　and　cries。　The　sentry　passed　them　through；　and　they　rode　forward　into　the　village；　and　as　they　did　so　the　groans　and　screams　were　explained；　for　they　passed　on　their　left　the　torch…lit　field　where　the　wounded　were　being　treated　…　Hornblower　had　a　glimpse　of　a　naked　writhing　body　being　held　down　on　a　table　while　the　surgeons　bent　over　it　in　the　glare　of　the　torches　like　the　familiars　of　the　Inquisition；　while　the　whole　field　was　carpeted　with　writhing　and　groaning　wounded。　And　this　had　been　a　mere　outpost　skirmish；　a　trifling　matter　of　a　few　hundred　casualties　on　either　side。
　They　dismounted　at　the　door　of　the　church　and　Essen　led　the　way　in；　returning　the　salute　of　the　bearded　grenadiers　at　the　door。　Candles　made　a　bright　pool　of　light　in　the　midst　of　the　surrounding　gloom；　and　at　a　table　there　sat　a　group　of　officers　drinking　tea　from　a　samovar　which　hissed　beside　them。　They　rose　as　the　Governor　entered；　and　Essen　made　the　introductions。
　〃General　Diebitch；　Colonel　von　Clausewitz　…　modore　Sir　Hornblower。〃
　Diebitch　was　a　Pole；　Clausewitz　a　German　…　the　Prussian　renegade　Hornblower　had　heard　about　previously；　an　intellectual　soldier　who　had　decided　that　true　patriotism　lay　in　fighting　Bonaparte　regardless　of　which　side　his　country　nominally　assisted。　They　made　their　report　in　French；　the　enemy　had　attempted　at　moonrise　to　storm　the　village　without　preparation；　and　had　been　bloodily　repulsed。　Pr