Hornblower 05 - Hornblower and the Atropos by C. S. Forester Page B
Authors: C. S. Forester
Ads: Link
Majesty.”
A glittering figure with ribbon and star came gliding forward from the semi-circle.
“Present Captain Hornblower to His Serene Highness.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
There was a smile in the pale blue eyes.
“Thank you, Captain,” said the King. “Do your duty as you have done it, and your conscience will always be clear.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Hornblower.
St Vincent was bowing again; Hornblower bowed. He was aware of the fact that he must not turn his back upon the King — that was almost the sum of his knowledge of court ceremonial — and he found it not so difficult to withdraw. Already there was a line formed of people waiting their turn to reach the royal presence, and he sidled away from them in St Vincent's wake.
“This way, if you please,” said Harmond, directing their course to the farther side of the room. “Wait a moment.”
“His Majesty's service makes strange bedfellows sometimes,” said St Vincent as they waited. “I hardly expected you would be saddled with this, Hornblower.”
“I — I have not yet understood,” said Hornblower.
“Oh, the Prince is —”
“This way, if you please,” said Harmond, appearing again.
He led them towards a diminutive figure who awaited them with composure. A young man — no, only a boy — wearing an outlandish uniform of gold and green, a short gold-hilted sword at his side, orders on his breast, and two more hanging from his neck. Behind them towered a burly figure in a more moderate version of the same uniform, swarthy, with fat pendulous cheeks. The boy himself was handsome, with fair hair falling in ringlets about his ears, frank blue eyes and a nose slightly turned upwards. The burly figure stepped forward, intercepting the approach of the group to the boy. Harmond and he exchanged glances.
“Presentations should be made to me first,” said the burly figure; he spoke thickly, in what Hornblower guessed to be a German accent.
“And why, sir?” asked Harmond.
“By the fundamental law of Seitz-Bunau only the High Chamberlain can make presentations to His Serene Highness.”
“Yes?”
“And I, sir, am the High Chamberlain. As you know.”
“Very well, sir,” said Harmond with resignation. “Then may I have the honour to present — Admiral the Right Honourable Earl St Vincent; Captain Horatio Hornblower; Lieutenant Anthony Bracegirdle.”
Hornblower was about to bow, but out of the tail of his eye he caught sight of St Vincent still holding himself ponderously erect, and he restrained himself.
“To whom have I the honour of being presented?” asked St Vincent, coldly. It appeared as if St Vincent entertained some prejudice against Germans.
“Doctor Eisenbeiss,” said Harmond.
“His Excellency the Baron von Eisenbeiss, High Chamberlain and Secretary of State to His Serene Highness the Prince of Seitz-Bunau,” said the burly man, in further explanation. “It is with much pleasure that I make your acquaintance.”
He stood meeting St Vincent's eyes for a moment, and then he bowed; St Vincent bowed only after Eisenbeiss had begun to bow; Hornblower and Bracegirdle followed his example. All four of them straightened up at the same moment.
“And now,” said Eisenbeiss, “I have the honour to present —”
He turned to the Prince and continued his speech in German, apparently repeating his first words and then mentioning the names in turn. The little Prince gave a half bow at each name, but as St Vincent bowed low — nearly as low as he had bowed to the King — Hornblower did likewise. Then the Prince spoke in German to Eisenbeiss.
“His Serene Highness says,” translated the latter, “that he is delighted to make the acquaintance of officers of His Majesty's Navy, because it is His Highness's will that he should make war against the French tyrant in their company.”
“Tell His Serene Highness,” said St Vincent, “that we are all delighted, too.”
The translation was made, and the
A glittering figure with ribbon and star came gliding forward from the semi-circle.
“Present Captain Hornblower to His Serene Highness.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
There was a smile in the pale blue eyes.
“Thank you, Captain,” said the King. “Do your duty as you have done it, and your conscience will always be clear.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Hornblower.
St Vincent was bowing again; Hornblower bowed. He was aware of the fact that he must not turn his back upon the King — that was almost the sum of his knowledge of court ceremonial — and he found it not so difficult to withdraw. Already there was a line formed of people waiting their turn to reach the royal presence, and he sidled away from them in St Vincent's wake.
“This way, if you please,” said Harmond, directing their course to the farther side of the room. “Wait a moment.”
“His Majesty's service makes strange bedfellows sometimes,” said St Vincent as they waited. “I hardly expected you would be saddled with this, Hornblower.”
“I — I have not yet understood,” said Hornblower.
“Oh, the Prince is —”
“This way, if you please,” said Harmond, appearing again.
He led them towards a diminutive figure who awaited them with composure. A young man — no, only a boy — wearing an outlandish uniform of gold and green, a short gold-hilted sword at his side, orders on his breast, and two more hanging from his neck. Behind them towered a burly figure in a more moderate version of the same uniform, swarthy, with fat pendulous cheeks. The boy himself was handsome, with fair hair falling in ringlets about his ears, frank blue eyes and a nose slightly turned upwards. The burly figure stepped forward, intercepting the approach of the group to the boy. Harmond and he exchanged glances.
“Presentations should be made to me first,” said the burly figure; he spoke thickly, in what Hornblower guessed to be a German accent.
“And why, sir?” asked Harmond.
“By the fundamental law of Seitz-Bunau only the High Chamberlain can make presentations to His Serene Highness.”
“Yes?”
“And I, sir, am the High Chamberlain. As you know.”
“Very well, sir,” said Harmond with resignation. “Then may I have the honour to present — Admiral the Right Honourable Earl St Vincent; Captain Horatio Hornblower; Lieutenant Anthony Bracegirdle.”
Hornblower was about to bow, but out of the tail of his eye he caught sight of St Vincent still holding himself ponderously erect, and he restrained himself.
“To whom have I the honour of being presented?” asked St Vincent, coldly. It appeared as if St Vincent entertained some prejudice against Germans.
“Doctor Eisenbeiss,” said Harmond.
“His Excellency the Baron von Eisenbeiss, High Chamberlain and Secretary of State to His Serene Highness the Prince of Seitz-Bunau,” said the burly man, in further explanation. “It is with much pleasure that I make your acquaintance.”
He stood meeting St Vincent's eyes for a moment, and then he bowed; St Vincent bowed only after Eisenbeiss had begun to bow; Hornblower and Bracegirdle followed his example. All four of them straightened up at the same moment.
“And now,” said Eisenbeiss, “I have the honour to present —”
He turned to the Prince and continued his speech in German, apparently repeating his first words and then mentioning the names in turn. The little Prince gave a half bow at each name, but as St Vincent bowed low — nearly as low as he had bowed to the King — Hornblower did likewise. Then the Prince spoke in German to Eisenbeiss.
“His Serene Highness says,” translated the latter, “that he is delighted to make the acquaintance of officers of His Majesty's Navy, because it is His Highness's will that he should make war against the French tyrant in their company.”
“Tell His Serene Highness,” said St Vincent, “that we are all delighted, too.”
The translation was made, and the
Similar Books
