csf.thecommodore-第44节

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and　followed　him。
　〃It　is　only　the　shortest　distance　to　go；〃　he　said；　〃but　we　shall　take　this　opportunity　of　letting　the　people　see　us。〃
　The　carriage　lurched　and　bounced　frightfully　over　the　cobbled　streets；　Hornblower　had　twice　to　straighten　his　cocked　hat　which　was　jerked　sideways　on　his　head；　but　he　endeavoured　to　sit　up　straight　and　unconcerned　as　they　dashed　along　narrow　streets　full　of　people　who　eyed　them　with　interest。　There　was　no　harm　in　allowing　the　inhabitants　of　a　beleaguered　city　the　opportunity　of　seeing　a　British　naval　officer　in　full　uniform　…　his　presence　would　be　a　pledge　that　Riga　was　not　alone　in　her　hour　of　trial。
　〃The　Ritterhaus；〃　explained　Essen；　as　the　coachman　pulled　up　his　horses　outside　a　handsome　old　building　with　a　line　of　sentries　posted　before　it。
　The　reception　awaited　them；　officers　in　uniform；　a　few　civilians　in　black；　and　many；　many　women　in　gala　dresses。　Several　of　the　officers　Hornblower　had　already　met　at　the　conference　that　morning　at　Dwina　Maude；　Essen　proceeded　to　present　the　more　important　of　the　rest　of　the　pany。
　〃His　Excellency　the　Intendant　of　Livonia；〃　said　Essen；　〃and　the　Countess　…〃
　〃It　has　already　been　my　great　pleasure　to　meet　the　Countess；〃　interposed　Hornblower。
　〃The　modore　was　my　partner　at　dinner　at　the　Peterhof；〃　said　the　Countess。
　She　was　as　beautiful　and　as　vivacious　as　ever；　maybe；　as　she　stood　there　with　her　hand　on　her　husband's　arm；　her　glance　was　not　so　sultry。　She　bowed　to　Hornblower　with　a　polite　indifference。　Her　husband　was　tall；　bony；　and　elderly；　with　a　thin　moustache　that　drooped　from　his　lip；　and　short…sighted　eyes　that　he　assisted　with　a　quizzing　glass。　Hornblower　bowed　to　him；　endeavouring　to　behave　as　though　this　were　only　one　more　ordinary　meeting。　It　was　ridiculous　to　feel　embarrassed　at　this　encounter；　yet　he　was；　and　had　to　struggle　to　conceal　it。　Yet　the　beaky…nosed　Intendant　of　Livonia　eyed　him　with　even　more　indifference　than　did　his　wife；　most　of　the　others　who　were　presented　to　Hornblower　were　obviously　delighted　to　meet　the　English　naval　officer；　but　the　Intendant　made　no　effort　to　hide　the　fact　that　to　him；　the　direct　representative　of　the　Tsar　and　an　habitué　of　Imperial　palaces；　this　provincial　reception　was　tedious　and　uninteresting；　and　the　guest　of　honour　nobody　of　importance。
　Hornblower　had　learned　his　lesson　regarding　the　etiquette　of　a　Russian　formal　dinner；　the　tables　of　hors　d'？uvres　he　knew　now　to　be　mere　preliminaries。　He　tasted　caviare　and　vodka　once　again；　and　the　very　pleasant　bination　of　flavours　called　up　a　sudden　host　of　memories。　Without　being　able　to　prevent　himself　he　glanced　across　at　the　Countess；　and　caught　her　eye　as　she　stood　chattering　with　half　a　dozen　grave　men　in　uniform。　It　was　only　for　a　moment；　but　that　was　long　enough。　Her　glance　seemed　to　tell　him　that　she；　too；　was　haunted　by　the　same　memories。　Hornblower's　head　whirled　a　little；　and　he　made　a　prompt　resolve　to　drink　nothing　more　that　night。　He　turned　and　plunged　hastily　into　conversation　with　the　Governor。
　〃How　delightfully　plementary　to　each　other　are　vodka　and　caviare；〃　he　said。　〃They　are　worthy　to　rank　with　those　other　binations　of　food　discovered　by　the　pioneers　of　the　gastronomic　art。　Eggs　and　bacon；　partridge　and　Burgundy；　spinach　and　…　and　…〃
　He　fumbled　for　a　French　word　for　'gammon'；　and　the　Governor　supplied　it；　his　little　pig's　eyes　lighting　up　with　interest　in　the　midst　of　his　big　red　face。
　〃You　are　a　gastronome；　sir？〃　he　said。
　The　rest　of　the　time　before　dinner　passed　easily　enough　then；　with　Hornblower　well　exercised　in　having　to　discuss　food　with　someone　to　whom　food　was　clearly　a　matter　of　deep　interest。　Hornblower　drew　a　little　on　his　imagination　to　describe　the　delicacies　of　the　West　Indies　and　of　Central　America；　fortunately　during　his　last　period　of　leave　he　had　moved　in　wealthy　London　circles　with　his　wife　and　had　eaten　at　several　renowned　tables；　including　that　of　the　Mansion　House；　which　gave　him　a　solid　basis　of　European　experience　with　which　to　supplement　his　imagination。　The　Governor　had　taken　advantage　of　the　campaigns　in　which　he　had　served　to　study　the　foods　of　the　different　countries。　Vienna　and　Prague　had　fed　him　during　the　Austerlitz　campaign；　he　had　drunk　resinated　wine　in　the　Seven　Islands；　he　rolled　up　his　eyes　in　ecstasy　at　the　memory　of　frutti　di　mare　consumed　in　Leghorn　when　he　had　served　in　Italy　under　Suvaroff。　Bavarian　beer；　Swedish　schnapps；　Danzig　goldwasser　…　he　had　drunk　of　them　all；　just　as　he　had　eaten　Westphalian　ham　and　Italian　beccaficoes　and　Turkish　rahat　lakoum。　He　listened　with　rapt　attention　when　Hornblower　spoke　of　grilled　flying…fish　and　Trinidad　pepperpot；　and　it　was　with　the　deepest　regret　that　he　parted　with　Hornblower　to　take　his　place　at　the　head　of　the　dinner　table；　even　then　he　persisted　in　calling　Hornblower's　attention　to　the　dishes　being　served；　leaning　forward　to　address　him　across　two　ladies　and　the　Intendant　of　Livonia；　and　when　dinner　was　ended　he　apologized　to　Hornblower　for　the　abrupt　termination　of　the　meal；　plaining　bitterly　of　the　fact　that　he　had　to　gulp　his　final　glass　of　brandy　because　they　were　already　nearly　an　hour　late　for　the　gala　performance　of　the　ballet　where　they　were　next　due　to　go。
　He　walked　heavily　up　the　stone　stairs　of　the　theatre；　his　spurs　ringing　and　his　sword　clattering　as　it　trailed　beside　him。　Two　ushers　led　the　way；　and　behind　Hornblower　and　Essen　walked　the　others　of　the　inner　circle；　the　Countess　and　her　husband　and　two　other　officials　and　their　wives。　The　ushers　held　open　the　door　of　the　box；　and　Hornblower　waited　on　the　threshold　for　the　ladies　to　enter。
　〃The　modore　will　go　first；〃　said　Essen；　and　Hornblower　plunged　in。　The　theatre　was　brightly　lighted；　and　parterre　and　gallery　were　crowded；　Hornblower's　entrance　drew　a　storm　of　applause；　which　smote　upon　his　ears　and　momentarily　paralysed　him　as　he　stood　there。　A　fortunate　instinct　prompted　him　to　bow；　first　to　one　side　and　then　to　the　other；　as　if　he　were　an　actor；　as　he　said　to　himself。　Then　someone　thrust　a　chair　behind　him　and　he　sat　down；　with　the　rest　of　the　party　round　him。　Throughout　the　auditorium　ushers　immediately　began　to　turn　down　the　lamps；　and　the　orchestra　broke　into　the　overture。　The　curtain　rose　to　reveal　a　woodland　scene；　and　the　ballet　began。
　〃A　lively　thing；　this　Madame　Nicolas；〃　said　the　Governor　in　a　penetrating　whisper。　〃Tell　me　if　you　like　her。　I　can　send　for　her　after　the　performance　if　you　desire。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　whispered　Hornblower　in　reply；　feeling　ridiculously　embarrassed。　The　Countess　was　close　on　his　other　side　and　he　was　too　conscious　of　her　warmth　to　feel　fortable。
　The　music　hurried　on；　and　in　the　golden　glow　of　the　footlights　the　ballet　went　through　its　dazzling　maze；　skirts　flying　and　feet　twinkling。　It　was　incorrect　to　say　that　music　meant　nothing　to　Hornblower；　the　monotonous　beat　of　its　rhythm；　when　he　was　pelled　to　listen　to　it　for　long；　stirred　something　in　the　depths　of　him　even　while　its　guessed…at　sweetness　tormented　his　ear　like　a　Chinese　water　torture。　Five　minutes　of　music　left　him　dull　and　unmoved；　fifteen　minutes　made　him　restless；　an　hour　was　sheer　agony。　He　forced　himself　to　sit　still　during　the　long　ordeal；　even　though　he　felt　he　would　gladly　exchange　his　chair　in　the　box　for　the　quarter…deck　of　a　ship　in　the　hottest　and　most　hopeless　battle　ever　fought。　He　tried　to　shut　his　ears　to　the　persistent　insidious　noise；　to　distract　himself　by　concentrating　his　attention　on　the　dancers；　on　Madame　Nicolas　as　she　pirouetted　across　the　stage　in　her　shimmering　white；　on　the　others　as；　chin　on　finger　and　the　other　hand　supporting　the　elbow；　they　came　down　the　stage　a…tiptoe　in　alluring　line。　Yet　it　was　of　no　avail；　and　his　misery　increased　from　minute　to　minute。
　The　Countess　at　his　side　was　stirring；　too。　He　knew；　telepathically；　what　she　was　thinking　about。　The　literature　of　all　ages；　from　the　Ars　Amatoria　to　Les　Liaisons　Dangereuses　told　him　theoretically　of　the　effect　of　music　and　spectacles　upon　the　feminine　mind；　and　in　violent　revulsion　he　hated　the　Countess　as　much　as　he　hated　music。　The　only　movement　he　made；　as　he　sat　there　stoically　enduring　the　tortures　of　the　damned　for　the　sake　of　his　duty；　was　to　shift　his　foot　away　out　of　reach　of　hers　…　he　knew　in　his　bones　that　she　would　endeavour　to　touch　him　soon；　while　her　beaky…nosed　husband　with　his　quizzing　glass　sat　just　behind　them。　The　entr'acte　was　only　a　poor　respite；　the　music　at　least　ceased；　and　he　was　able　to　stand；　blinking　a　little　as　the　thrown…open　door　of　the　box　admitted　a　stream　of　light；　and　he　bowed　politely　when　the　Governor　presented　a　few　lateers　who　came　to　pay　their　respects　to　the　British　visitor。　But　in　no　time　at　all；　it　seemed；　he　was　forced　to　seat　himself　again；　while　the　orchestra　resumed　its　maddening　scraping；　and　the　curtain　rose　on　a　new　scene。
　Then　a　distraction　came。　Hornblower　was　not　sure　when　he　first　heard　it；　he　might　have　missed　the　first　premonitory　shots　in　his　determined　effort　to　shut　himself　inside　himself。　He　came　out　of　his　nightmare　conscious　of　a　new　tension　in　the　people　round　him；　the　boom　of　heavy　artillery　was　very　noticeable　now　…　it　even　seemed　as　if　the　theatre　itself　were　vibrating　gently　to　the　heavy　concuss