csf.thecommodore-第51节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sed　them　to　head　crab　wise　aslant　of　their　course。　Hornblower　turned　away　with　relief　to　meet　the　eyes　of　the　governor；　who　had　been　standing　silently　watching　the　whole　operation　through　a　vast　telescope　which　he　had　mounted　upon　the　shoulder　of　a　patient　orderly　whose　back　must　have　ached　with　crouching。
　〃Excellent；　sir；〃　said　the　Governor。　〃I　thank　you；　sir；　in　the　name　of　the　Tsar。　Russia　is　grateful　to　you；　sir；　and　so　is　the　city　of　Riga。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Your　Excellency；〃　said　Hornblower。
　Diebitch　and　Clausewitz　were　awaiting　his　attention。　They　were　eager　to　discuss　future　operations　with　him；　and　he　had　to　listen　to　them。　He　dismissed　his　midshipmen　and　signalling　party；　hoping　that　Somers　would　have　the　sense　to　interpret　the　glance　he　threw　him　as　a　warning　not　to　let　his　men　get　hold　of　any　Lettish　spirits　while　they　were　ashore。　Then　he　resumed　the　conversation；　which　was　continually　interrupted　by　the　ing　and　going　of　orderlies　with　messages；　and　hasty　orders　given　in　languages　that　he　could　not　understand。　But　the　results　of　those　orders　were　soon　apparent；　two　regiments　of　infantry　came　filing　up　through　the　village；　with　bayonets　fixed；　lined　the　earthworks；　and　then　dashed　out　on　the　glacis　with　a　yell。　The　heavy　guns　in　the　battery　which　should　have　torn　them　to　pieces　with　grapeshot　were　all　silent；　Hornblower　watched　the　sortie　reach　the　approach　trench　almost　without　opposition；　the　men　burst　into　it　over　the　parapets；　and　hurriedly　began　to　tear　down　the　sandbags　and　gabions　with　which　it　was　constructed；　while　down　into　the　ruined　battery　came　a　French　infantry　force　too　late　to　stop　them；　even　if　they　had　been　able　to　do　so　under　the　artillery　fire　of　the　besieged。　In　an　hour　the　work　was　done；　the　approach　trench　levelled　over　large　sections；　the　tools　taken；　spare　gabions　heaped　together　and　set　on　fire。
　〃Thanks　to　you；　sir；〃　said　Clausewitz；　〃the　progress　of　the　siege　has　been　delayed　by　four　days。〃
　Four　days；　and　the　French　had　all　the　rest　of　the　year　to　continue　pounding　the　defences。　It　was　his　duty；　and　the　Russians'；　to　maintain　them　as　long　as　might　be。　There　was　something　a　little　depressing　about　the　prospect　of　trying　to　maintain　this　outwork　while　Bonaparte　was　marching；　irresistibly；　into　the　heart　of　Russia。　Yet　the　game　had　to　be　played　out　to　the　end。　He　parted　from　his　hosts　feeling　weary　and　disconsolate；　a　dark　shadow　overhanging　any　elation　he　might　feel　regarding　the　success　…　the　success　that　had　won　four　days　…　of　his　attack　on　the　French。　The　pipes　squealed　as　he　came　over　the　side　of　the　Nonsuch：　Captain　Bush　and　the　first　lieutenant　and　the　officer　of　the　watch　were　on　the　quarter…deck　to　receive　him。
　〃Good　evening；　Captain　Bush。　Would　you　be　kind　enough　to　hang　out　a　signal　for　Mr　Duncan　and　Mr　Mound　to　repair　on　board　here　immediately？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Bush　did　not　speak　again　for　a　second　or　two；　but　he　did　not　turn　away　to　obey。　〃Yes；　sir。　Mound　was　killed。〃
　〃What's　that　you　say？〃
　〃One　of　the　last　shots　from　the　beach　cut　him　in　two；　sir。〃　Bush　was　trying　to　keep　his　expression　harsh　as　usual；　but　it　was　obvious　that　he　was　deeply　moved。　Yet　he　had　not　grown　as　fond　of　Mound　as　had　Hornblower。　And　in　that　one　moment　there　came　flooding　over　Hornblower　all　the　torrent　of　regrets　and　doubts　which　he　was　to　know　for　so　long　to　e。　If　only　he　had　ordered　the　bomb…ketches　out　of　action　earlier！　Had　he　been　wantonly　reckless　of　human　life　in　keeping　them　in　action　after　the　field　batteries　began　to　return　fire？　Mound　had　been　one　of　the　best　young　officers　he　had　ever　been　fortunate　enough　to　mand。　England　had　suffered　a　severe　loss　in　his　death；　and　so　had　he。　But　his　feeling　of　personal　loss　was　more　acute　still；　and　the　thought　of　the　finality　of　death　oppressed　him。　The　wave　of　torment　was　still　breaking　over　him　when　Bush　spoke　again。
　〃Shall　I　signal　for　Duncan　and　Harvey's　first　lieutenant；　sir？〃
　〃Yes；　do　that；　if　you　please；　Captain　Bush。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…ONE
　
　Hornblower　was　endeavouring　to　write　a　note　in　French　to　the　Governor　…　a　weary　exercise。　Sometimes　it　was　words　and　sometimes　it　was　phrases　which　were　beyond　his　power　to　express　in　French；　and　each　hitch　meant　retracing　his　steps　and　beginning　the　sentence　again。
　Despatches　received　at　this　moment　from　England　…　he　was　trying　to　say　…　inform　me　that　the　armies　of　His　Majesty　the　King　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland　have　been　successful　in　a　great　battle　fought　on　the　14th　of　last　month　at　Salamanca　in　Spain。　Marshal　Marmont；　Duke　of　Ragusa；　was　wounded；　and　some　ten　thousand　prisoners　were　captured。　The　British　general；　the　Marquess　of　Wellesley；　is；　according　to　the　advices　I　have　received；　in　full　march　for　Madrid；　which　is　certain　to　fall　to　him。　The　consequences　of　this　battle　cannot　be　estimated　too　highly。
　Hornblower　swore　a　little　to　himself；　it　was　not　for　him　to　remend　to　the　Governor　what　action　he　should　take　regarding　this　news。　But　the　fact　that　one　of　Bonaparte's　armies　had　been　thoroughly　beaten；　in　a　battle　fought　between　equal　numbers　on　a　large　scale；　was　of　the　highest　importance。　If　he　were　Governor；　he　would　fire　salutes；　post　proclamations；　do　all　that　he　could　to　revive　the　spirits　of　soldiers　and　civilians　in　their　weary　task　of　holding　Riga　against　the　French。　And　what　it　would　mean　to　the　main　Russian　army；　now　drawing　together　in　the　south　to　defend　Moscow　in　one　last　desperate　battle；　it　was　impossible　to　estimate。
　He　signed　and　sealed　the　note；　shouted　for　Brown；　and　handed　it　over　to　him　for　immediate　despatch　ashore。　Beside　him；　in　addition　to　the　official　despatches　just　received；　lay　a　pile　of　fifteen　letters　all　addressed　to　him　in　Barbara's　handwriting；　Barbara　had　written　to　him　every　week　since　his　departure；　and　the　letters　had　piled　up　in　the　Admiralty　office　awaiting　the　time　when　Clam　should　return　with　despatches；　and　he　had　opened　only　the　last　one　to　assure　himself　that　all　was　well　at　home；　and　he　picked　it　up　again　to　reread　it。
　
　MY　BELOVED　HUSBAND；
　This　week　the　domestic　news　is　quite　overshadowed　by　the　great　news　from　Spain。　Arthur　has　beaten　Marmont　and　the　whole　usurping　government　in　that　country　is　in　ruin。　Arthur　is　to　be　made　a　Marquess。　Was　it　in　my　first　letter　or　in　my　second　that　I　told　you　he　had　been　made　an　Earl？　Let　us　hope　that　soon　I　shall　be　writing　to　you　that　he　has　been　made　a　Duke　not　because　I　wish　my　brother　to　be　a　Duke；　but　because　that　will　mean　another　victory。　All　England　is　talking　of　Arthur　this　week；　just　as　two　weeks　back　all　England　was　talking　of　modore　Hornblower　and　his　exploits　in　the　Baltic。
　The　household　here　at　Smallbridge　is　so　much　agog　with　all　this　news　that　our　most　important　event　bade　fair　to　pass　unnoticed。　I　refer　to　the　breeching　of　Richard　Arthur。　He　is　in　smallclothes　now；　and　his　petticoats　are　put　away　for　ever。　He　is　young　for　such　a　transformation；　and　Ramsbottom　melted　into　tears　at　the　passing　of　her　baby；　but　if　you　could　see　him　I　think　you　would　agree　that　he　looks　vastly　well　in　his　new　clothes；　at　least　until　he　can　escape　from　supervision　and　indulge　himself　in　his　favourite　recreation　of　digging　holes　in　the　ground　in　the　shrubbery。　He　exhibits　both　physically　and　morally　a　partiality　for　the　soil　which　appears　odd　in　the　son　of　such　a　distinguished　sailor。　When　I　have　pleted　this　letter　I　shall　ring　and　send　for　him　so　that　he　can　affix　his　mark；　and　I　daresay　he　will　add　such　grubby　fingerprints　as　will　further　identify　his　signature。
　
　Hornblower　turned　the　page；　and　the　grubby　fingerprints　were　there；　sure　enough；　along　with　the　shaky　X　that　Richard　Arthur　had　scrawled　under　his　stepmother's　signature。　Hornblower　felt　a　desperate　longing　to　see　his　son　at　that　moment；　happily　muddy　and　spading　away　at　his　hole　in　the　shrubbery；　all…engrossed　in　the　business　of　the　moment　with　babyhood's　sublime　concentration　of　purpose。　Above　the　X　were　the　last　few　lines　Barbara　had　written。
　
　As　always；　it　is　my　constant　dream　that　my　dear　husband　shall　soon　return　victorious；　when　I　shall　be　able　to　exert　myself　to　increase　his　happiness　in　place　of　merely　praying　for　it　as　I　do　now。
　
　Hornblower　refused　to　allow　himself　to　grow　sentimental；　brutally　strangling　any　emotion　which　he　experienced。　So　now　he　had　two　brothers…in…law　who　were　Marquesses；　and　one　of　them　was　a　full　General；　while　he　himself　was　no　more　than　a　Knight　of　the　Bath　and　…　unless　there　should　be　an　unusual　casualty　rate　among　his　seniors　…　it　would　still　be　eight　years　before　he　became　even　a　Rear　Admiral；　even　if　he　should　live　so　long　and　his　career　was　not　cut　short　by　disciplinary　action。　He　reached　for　the　despatch　which　had　been　the　first　one　he　had　opened；　and　read　once　more　the　passage　which　had　the　greatest　bearing　on　the　present　moment。
　
　Their　Lordships　desire　me　to　call　your　particular　notice　to　the　fact　that　Government　attaches　the　greatest　importance　to　maintaining　the　defence　of　Riga　as　long　as　it　is　possible。　They　instruct　me　that　they　consider　the　safety　of　the　squadron　under　your　mand　as　secondary　pared　with　the　prolongation　of　the　siege　and　they　charge　you；　on　your　peril；　to　do　everything　in　your　power　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　continuing　his　march　on　St　Pete