csf.thecommodore-第30节

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　for　him　to　help　himself　from。　He　could　not　help　glancing　down　the　table；　everyone　had　been　given　soup　at　the　same　moment　…　there　must　be　two　hundred　footmen　at　least　waiting　at　table。
　〃That　is　M。　de　Narbonne；　the　French　Ambassador；〃　said　the　Countess；　indicating　with　a　glance　a　handsome　young　man　across　the　table　two　places　higher　than　the　Persian　Ambassador。　〃Of　course　the　Grand　Marshal　did　not　present　you　to　him。　And　that　is　the　Austrian　Ambassador；　and　the　Saxon　Minister；　and　the　Danish　Minister；　all　your　enemies　officially。　The　Spanish　Ambassador　es　from　Joseph　Bonaparte；　not　from　the　Spanish　partisan　government　which　you　recognize；　so　you　could　hardly　be　presented　to　him　either。　I　don't　believe　there's　a　soul　here　except　us　Russians　to　whom　it　would　be　proper　to　present　you。〃
　There　was　a　cool；　pleasant　yellow　wine　in　a　tall　glass　before　Hornblower；　and　he　sipped　it。
　〃My　experience　to…day；〃　he　said；　〃is　that　the　Russians　are　the　most　delightful　people　in　the　world；　and　Russian　women　the　most　charming　and　most　beautiful。〃
　The　Countess　flashed　a　glance　at　him　from　her　sultry　eyes；　and；　it　seemed　to　Hornblower；　set　his　brains　creeping　about　inside　his　skull。　The　golden　soup　plate　was　whisked　away　and　replaced　by　a　golden　dinner　plate。　Another　wine　was　poured　into　another　glass　before　him　…　champagne。　It　effervesced　just　as　his　thoughts　appeared　to　him　to　be　doing。　His　footman　spoke　to　him　in　Russian；　apparently　offering　him　a　choice；　and　the　Countess　settled　the　problem　without　referring　to　him。
　〃As　this　is　your　first　visit　to　Russia；〃　she　explained；　〃I　could　be　sure　that　you　have　not　yet　tasted　our　Volga　River　trout。〃
　She　was　helping　herself　to　one　as　she　spoke；　from　a　golden　dish：　Hornblower's　footman　was　presenting　another　golden　dish。
　〃A　gold　service　looks　very　well；〃　said　the　Countess　sadly；　〃but　it　allows　the　food　to　grow　unfortunately　cold。　I　never　use　mine　in　my　house　save　when　I　entertain　His　Imperial　Majesty。　As　that　is　the　case　in　most　houses　I　doubt　if　His　Imperial　Majesty　ever　has　a　hot　meal。〃
　The　gold　knife　and　fork　with　which　Hornblower　dissected　his　fish　were　heavy　in　his　hands；　and　scraped　oddly　against　the　gold　plate。
　〃You　have　a　kind　heart；　madame；〃　he　said。　〃Yes；〃　said　the　Countess；　with　deep　significance。
　Hornblower's　head　whirled　again；　the　champagne；　so　cold；　so　delicate；　seemed　perfectly　adapted　to　put　this　right；　and　he　drank　of　it　thirstily。
　A　couple　of　fat　little　birds　on　toast　followed　the　trout；　they　melted　delicately　in　the　mouth；　some　other　wine　followed　the　champagne。　And　there　was　a　venison　stew；　and　a　cut　off　some　roast　which　might　be　mutton　but　which　was　borne　on　Pegasus…wings　of　garlic　beyond　mundane　speculation。　Somewhere　in　the　procession　of　food　appeared　a　pink　water　ice；　only　the　third　or　fourth　which　Hornblower　had　ever　tasted。
　〃Foreign　kickshaws；〃　said　Hornblower　to　himself；　but　he　enjoyed　the　food　and　had　no　prejudice　against　foreign　cookery。　Perhaps　he　said　'foreign　kickshaws'　to　himself　because　that　was　what　Bush　would　have　said　had　he　been　eating　the　dinner。　Or　perhaps　it　was　because　he　was　a　little　drunk　…　Hornblower's　persistent　self…examination　brought　him　to　this　startling　conclusion　with　a　shock；　parable　with　that　received　by　a　man　walking　into　a　stanchion　in　the　dark。　He　must　certainly　not　get　drunk　while　he　was　representing　his　country；　and　he　would　be　a　fool　to　get　drunk　while　in　the　imminent　personal　danger　which　surrounded　him。　He　personally　had　brought　an　assassin　to　the　palace；　and　if　the　fact　ever　leaked　out　it　would　go　hard　with　him；　especially　if　the　Tsar　should　bee　aware　that　the　assassin　was　armed　with　a　rifled　pistol　which　was　Hornblower's　private　property。　Hornblower　sobered　still　further　when　it　came　to　him　that　he　had　forgotten　all　about　his　junior　officers　…　he　had　left　them　trying　to　dispose　of　the　wounded　assassin；　and　what　they　would　do　with　him　was　more　than　he　could　guess。
　The　Countess　beside　him　was　pressing　his　foot　under　the　table；　and　a　little　electric　thrill　ran　through　him　and　his　steadiness　vanished　once　more。　He　smiled　at　her　beatifically。　She　gave　him　a　long　look　with　lowered　lids　and　then　turned　away　to　address　a　remark　to　her　neighbour　on　her　other　side；　a　tactful　hint　for　Hornblower　to　pay　a　little　attention　to　the　Baroness　to　whom　he　had　hardly　spoken　a　word。　Hornblower　plunged　feverishly　into　conversation；　and　the　general　in　the　outlandish　dragoon　uniform　on　the　far　side　of　the　Baroness　joined　in　with　a　question　about　Admiral　Keats；　whose　acquaintance　he　had　made　in　1807。　The　footman　was　offering　a　new　dish；　his　hairy　wrist　was　exposed　between　his　cuff　and　his　white　glove；　and　that；　wrist　was　spotted　with　flea…bites。　Hornblower　remembered　having　read　in　one　of　the　books　he　had　been　studying　about　the　northern　powers　that　the　farther　east　one　travelled　the　worse　the　vermin　became　…　the　Polish　flea　was　bad；　but　the　Russian　flea　was　unbearable。　If　it　was　any　worse　than　the　Spanish　flea；　with　which　Hornblower　had　an　intimate　acquaintance；　it　must　be　a　remarkably　well　developed　flea。
　There　must　be　hundreds　…　there　must　actually　be　thousands　…　of　servants　in　this　palace；　and　Hornblower　could　guess　how　closely　they　must　be　herded　together。　Having　waged　a　ceaseless　war　against　body…vermin　for　twenty　years　in　crowded　ships　Hornblower　was　well　aware　of　the　difficulty　of　extermination。　But　while　one　part　of　his　mind　was　discussing　with　the　dragoon　general　the　principles　of　seniority　and　selection　in　the　British　Navy　another　part　was　telling　himself　that　he　would　greatly　prefer　not　to　be　served　by　a　flea…bitten　footman。　The　conversation　languished；　and　Hornblower　turned　back　to　the　Countess。
　〃Do　pictures　interest　monsieur　very　much？〃　she　asked。
　〃Of　course；〃　said　Hornblower　politely。　〃The　picture　gallery　in　this　palace　is　very　fine。　You　have　not　seen　it　yet？〃
　〃I　have　not　yet　had　that　pleasure。〃
　〃This　evening；　after　the　royal　party　has　retired；　I　could　show　it　to　you。　Unless　you　would　rather　join　one　of　the　card　tables？〃
　〃I　would　much　prefer　to　see　pictures；〃　said　Hornblower。　His　laugh　rang　a　little　loud　even　in　his　own　ears。
　〃Then　if；　after　the　royal　party　has　withdrawn；　you　are　by　the　door　on　the　far　side　of　the　room；　I　shall　show　you　the　way。〃
　〃That　will　be　delightful；　madame。〃
　They　were　drinking　toasts　at　the　head　of　the　table　…　for　the　first　one　everyone　had　to　stand　while　they　drank　the　health　of　the　Prince　of　Sweden；　and　after　that　conversation　perforce　became　disjointed　with　other　toasts　to　be　drunk；　announced　by　a　gigantic　official　with　a　colossal　voice　…　Stentor　with　Hercules'　frame；　said　Hornblower　to　himself；　pleased　with　the　classical　touch　…　who　stood　behind　the　Tsar's　chair。　Between　toasts　there　was　music；　not　orchestral　music；　but　vocal　music　from　an　unacpanied　male　choir；　seemingly　of　hundreds　of　voices　which　filled　the　vast　room　with　their　din。　Hornblower　heard　it　with　the　faint　but　growing　irritation　of　the　pletely　tone…deaf。　It　was　a　relief　when　the　music　ceased　and　everyone　stood　once　more　while　the　royal　party　withdrew　through　a　doorway　near　the　head　of　the　table；　and　no　sooner　had　the　door　closed　after　them　than　the　women　went　out　too；　ushered　through　the　far　door　by　Madame　Kotchubey。
　〃à　bient？t；〃　smiled　the　Countess；　as　she　left　him。
　The　men　began　to　gather　in　groups　along　the　table　while　footmen　hastened　in　with　coffee　and　cordials；　Wychwood；　his　bearskin　still　under　his　arm；　made　his　way　round　to　Hornblower。　His　face　was　redder　than　ever；　his　eyes；　if　it　were　possible；　stuck　out　even　farther　from　his　head。
　〃The　Swedes'll　fight　if　Russia　will；〃　said　Wychwood；　in　a　grating　whisper。　〃I　have　that　direct　from　Basse；　who　was　with　Bernadotte　all　day。〃
　Then　he　passed　on　and　Hornblower　heard　his　remarkable　French　being　practised　on　a　uniformed　group　higher　up　the　table。　The　room　was　unbearably　hot；　presumably　because　of　the　infinity　of　candles　alight　in　it；　some　of　the　men　were　already　beginning　to　drift　away　through　the　door　where　the　women　had　preceded　them。　Hornblower　drank　his　coffee　and　rose　to　his　feet；　transferring　his　cocked　hat　once　more　from　his　knees　to　under　his　arm。　The　room　he　entered　must　have　been　the　counterpart　of　the　one　in　which　the　royal　reception　had　been　held；　for　it　was　domed　too；　and　of　similar　proportions；　Hornblower　remembered　the　two　domes　he　had　seen　when　his　carriage　drew　up　to　the　palace。　It　was　dotted　with　chairs　and　sofas　and　tables；　round　one　of　which　a　group　of　dowagers　were　already　playing　cards；　and　an　elderly　couple　were　playing　backgammon　at　another。　At　the　far　end　his　eye　instantly　discerned　the　Countess；　seated　on　a　couch　with　her　train　spread　beside　her　and　her　coffee　cup　and　saucer　in　her　hands；　while　she　chatted　with　another　woman；　every　line　of　the　Countess's　attitude　proclaimed　girlish　innocence。
　From　the　number　of　people　already　assembled　it　was　clear　that　this　was　the　meeting…place　of　the　whole　Court；　presumably　the　hundreds　of　people　who　had　perforce　witnessed　the　royal　reception　from　the　gallery　were　permitted　to　descend　and　mingle　with　their　betters　after　dining　less　elaborately。　Young　Mound　was　lounging　towards　him；　his　lean　gangling　body　looking　like　an　overgrown　colt's。
　〃We　have　him　in　a　side　room　aloft；　sir；〃　h