csf.thecommodore-第46部分

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t。
　〃Well；〃　said　Wychwood；　〃it's　war。〃
　Hornblower　could　not　allow　himself　to　ask；　〃War　with　whom？〃　He　made　himself　wait。
　〃Alexander's　done　it；　or　rather　Boney　has。　Boney　crossed　the　Niemen　with　fifteen　army　corps　ten　days　back。　No　declaration　of　war；　of　course。　That's　not　the　sort　of　courtesy　one　would　expect　of　two　potentates　who　have　been　blackguarding　each　other　in　every　sheet　in　every　language　in　Europe。　War　was　inevitable　the　moment　Alexander　sent　back　his　answer　a　month　ago　…　the　day　before　you　left　us。　Now　we'll　see。〃
　〃Who's　going　to　win？〃
　Wychwood　shrugged。
　〃I　can't　imagine　Boney　being　beaten。　And　from　what　I've　heard　the　Russian　Army　did　not　show　to　advantage　last　year　in　Finland　despite　their　reorganization。　And　Boney　has　half　a　million　men　marching　on　Moscow。〃
　Half　a　million　men；　the　largest　army　the　world　had　seen　since　Xerxes　crossed　the　Hellespont。
　〃At　least；〃　went　on　Wychwood；　〃it　will　keep　Boney　busy　all　this　summer。　Next　year　we'll　see　…　maybe　he'll　lose　so　many　men　his　people　will　bear　it　no　longer。〃
　〃Let's　hope　so；〃　said　Hornblower。
　He　took　out　his　penknife　and　ripped　open　his　despatch。
　
　British　Embassy；
　St　Petersburg
　June　24th；　1812。
　SIR；
　The　bearer　of　this　despatch；　Colonel　Lord　Wychwood；　will　inform　you　of　affairs　in　this　country　and　of　the　state　of　war　which　now　exists　between　His　Imperial　Majesty　the　Tsar　and　Bonaparte；　You　will；　of　course；　take　all　necessary　steps　to　render　all　the　assistance　in　your　power　to　our　new　ally。　I　am　informed；　and　have　reason　to　believe；　that　while　the　main　body　of　Bonaparte's　army　is　marching　on　Moscow；　a　very　considerable　detachment；　believed　to　consist　of　the　Prussian　army　corps　and　a　French　corps　d'armée；　the　whole　under　the　orders　of　Marshal　Macdonald；　Duke　of　Tarentum；　altogether　some　60；000　men；　has　been　directed　on　the　northern　route　towards　St　Petersburg。　It　is　highly　desirable　that　this　army　should　be　prevented　from　reaching　its　goal；　and　at　the　request　of　the　Russian　Imperial　Staff　I　must　call　your　attention　to　the　possibility　that　your　squadron　may　be　able　to　give　assistance　at　Riga；　which　the　French　must　capture　before　continuing　their　march　on　St　Petersburg。　I　wish　to　add　my　own　advice　to　that　of　the　Russian　staff；　and　to　press　upon　you　as　urgently　as　possible　that　you　should　give　assistance　at　Riga　for　as　long　as　may　be　patible　with　your　original　orders。
　In　virtue　of　the　powers　granted　me　under　the　terms　of　my　instructions；　I　must　inform　you　that　I　consider　it　important　to　the　national　safety　that　the　cutter　Clam；　at　present　under　your　mand；　shall　be　despatched　to　England　in　order　to　carry　with　the　utmost　rapidity　the　news　of　the　outbreak　of　war。　I　trust　and　hope　that　you　will　raise　no　objection。
　I　have　the　honour　to　be；　sir；
　Etc。；　etc。；
　CATHCART；　His　Britannic　Majesty's　Minister…Plenipotentiary
　　and　Ambassador　Extraordinary　to　H。　I。　M
　
　〃Cathcart's　a　good　man；〃　mented　Wychwood；　observing　that　Hornblower　had　pleted　his　reading。　〃Both　as　a　soldier　and　as　a　diplomat　he's　worth　two　of　Merry　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　t