“Nothing. Of course there’s nothing the matter with me,” said Maria, defensively, and then she changed the subject. “Put your coat on now, or you’ll be late.”
Walking along Highbury Street Bush asked the question he had had in mind for some time, regarding whether Hornblower had experienced good fortune lately at the Rooms. Hornblower looked at him oddly.
“Not as good as it might be,” he said.
“Bad?”
“Bad enough. My opponents’ aces lie behind my kings, ready for instant regicide. And my opponents’ kings lie behind my aces, so that when they venture out from the security of the hand they survive all perils and take the trick. In the long run the chances right themselves mathematically. But the periods when they are unbalanced in the wrong direction can be distressing.”
“I see,” said Bush, although he was not too sure that he did; but one thing he did know, and that was that Hornblower had been losing. And he knew Hornblower well enough by now to know that when he talked in an airy fashion as he was doing now he was more anxious than he cared to admit.
They had reached the Long Rooms, and paused at the door.
“You’ll call in for me on your way back?” asked Hornblower. “There’s an eating house in Broad Street with a fourpenny ordinary. Sixpence with pudding. Would you care to try it?”
“Yes, indeed. Thank you. Good luck,” said Bush, and he paused before continuing. “Be careful.”
“I shall be careful,” said Hornblower, and went in through the door.
The weather was in marked contrast with what had prevailed during Bush’s last visit. Then there had been a black frost and an east wind; today there was a hint of spring in the air. As Bush walked along the Hard the harbour entrance revealed itself to him on his left, its muddy water sparkling in the clear light. A flushdecked sloop was coming out with the ebb, the gentle puffs of wind from the northwest just giving her steerage way. Despatches for Halifax, perhaps. Money to pay the Gibraltar garrison. Or maybe a reinforcement for the revenue cutters that were finding so much difficulty in dealing with the peacetime wave of smuggling. Whatever it was, there were fortunate officers on board, with an appointment, with three years’ employment ahead of them, with a deck under their feet and a wardroom in which to dine. Lucky devils. Bush acknowledged the salute of the porter at the gate and went into the yard.
He emerged into the late afternoon and made his way back to the Long Rooms. Hornblower was at a table near the corner and looked up to smile at him, the candlelight illuminating his face. Bush found himself the latest Naval Chronicle and settled himself to read it. Beside him a group of army and navy officers argued in low tones regarding the difficulties of living in the same world as Bonaparte. Malta and Genoa, Santo Domingo and Miquelet, came up in the conversation.
“Mark my words,” said one of them, thumping his hand with his fist, “we’ll be at war with him again soon enough.”
There was a murmur of agreement.
“It’ll be war to the knife,” supplemented another. “If once he drives us to extremity, we shall never rest until Mr. Napoleon Bonaparte is hanging to the nearest tree.”
The others agreed to that with a fierce roar, like wild beasts.
“Gentlemen,” said one of the players at Hornblower’s table, looking round over his shoulder. “Could you find it convenient to continue your discussion at the far end of the room? This end is dedicated to the most scientific and difficult of all games.”
The words were uttered in a pleasant high tenor, but it was obvious that the speaker had every expectation of being instantly obeyed.
“Very good, my lord,” said one of the naval officers.
That made Bush look more closely, and he recognised the speaker, although it was six years since he had seen him last. It was Admiral Lord Parry, who had been made a lord after Camperdown; now he was one of the commissioners of the navy, one of the people who could make or break a naval officer. The mop of snowwhite curls that ringed the bald spot on the top of his head, his smooth old-man’s face, his mild speech, accorded ill with the nickname of ‘Old Bloodybones’ which had been given him by the lower deck far back in the American War. Hornblower was moving in very high society. Bush watched Lord Parry extend a skinny white hand and cut the cards to Hornblower. It was obvious from his colouring that Parry, like Hornblower, had not been to sea for a long time. Hornblower dealt and the game proceeded in its paralysing stillness; the cards made hardly a sound as they fell on the green cloth, and each trick was picked up and laid down almost silently, with only the slightest click. The line of tricks in front of Parry grew like a snake, silent as a snake gliding over a rock, like a snake it closed on itself and then lengthened again, and then the hand was finished and the cards swept together.
“Small slam,” said Parry as the players attended to their markers, and that was all that was said. The two tiny words sounded as clearly and as briefly in the silence as two bells in the middle watch. Hornblower cut the cards and the next deal began in the same mystic silence. Bush could not see the fascination of it. He would prefer a game in which he could roar at his losses and exult over his winnings; and preferably one in which the turn of a single card, and not of the whole fiftytwo, would decide who had won and who had lost. No, he was wrong. There was undoubtedly a fascination about it, a poisonous fascination. Opium? No. This silent game was like the quiet interplay of duelling swords as compared with the crash of cutlass blades, and it was as deadly. A smallsword through the lungs killed as effectively as—more effectively than—the sweep of a cutlass.
“A short rubber,” commented Parry; the silence was over, and the cards lay in disorder on the table.
“Yes, my lord,” said Hornblower.
Bush, taking note of everything with the keen observation of anxiety, saw Hornblower put his hand to his breast pocket—the pocket that he had indicated as holding his reserve—and take out a little fold of onepound notes. When he had made his payment Bush could see that what he returned to his pocket was only a single note.
“You encountered the worst of good fortune,” said Parry, pocketing his winnings. “On the two occasions when you dealt, the trump that you turned up proved to be the only one that you held. I cannot remember another occasion when the dealer has held a singleton trump twice running.”
“In a long enough period of play, my lord,” said Hornblower, “every possible combination of cards can be expected.”
He spoke with a polite indifference that for a moment almost gave Bush heart to believe his losses were not serious, until he remembered the single note that had been put back into Hornblower’s breast pocket.
“But it is rare to see such a run of ill luck,” said Parry. “And yet you play an excellent game, Mr—Mr—please forgive me, but your name escaped me at the moment of introduction.”
“Hornblower,” said Hornblower.
“Ah, yes, of course. For some reason the name is familiar to me.”
Bush glanced quickly at Hornblower. There never was such a perfect moment for reminding a Lord Commissioner about the fact that his promotion to commander had not been confirmed.
“When I was a midshipman, my lord,” said Hornblower, “I was seasick while at anchor in Spithead on board the Justinian. I believe the story is told.”
“That doesn’t seem to be the connection I remember,” answered Parry. “But we have been diverted from what I was going to say. I was about to express regret that I cannot give you your immediate revenge, although I should be most glad to have the opportunity of studying your play of the cards again.”
“You are very kind, my lord,” said Hornblower, and Bush writhed—he had been writhing ever since Hornblower had given the goby to that golden opportunity. This last speech had a flavour of amused bitterness that Bush feared would be evident to the admiral. But fortunately Parry did not know Hornblower as well as Bush did.
“Most unfortunately,” said Parry, “I am due to dine with Admiral Lambert.”
This time
the coincidence startled Hornblower into being human.
“Admiral Lambert, my lord?”
“Yes. You know him?”
“I had the honour of serving under him on the Jamaica station. This is Mr. Bush, who commanded the storming party from the Renown that compelled the capitulation of Santo Domingo.”
“Glad to see you, Mr. Bush,” said Parry, and it was only just evident that if he was glad he was not overjoyed. A commissioner might well find embarrassment at an encounter with an unemployed lieutenant with a distinguished record. Parry lost no time in turning back to Hornblower.
“It was in my mind,” he said, “to try to persuade Admiral Lambert to return here with me after dinner so that I could offer you your revenge. Would we find you here if we did?”
“I am most honoured, my lord,” said Hornblower with a bow, but Bush noted the uncontrollable flutter of his fingers towards his almost empty breast pocket.
“Then would you be kind enough to accept a semiengagement? On account of Admiral Lambert I can make no promise, except that I will do my best to persuade him.”
“I’m dining with Mr. Bush, my lord. But I would be the last to stand in the way.”
“Then we may take it as being settled as near as may be?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Parry withdrew then, ushered out by his flag lieutenant who had been one of the whist four, with all the dignity and pomp that might be expected of a peer, an admiral, and a commissioner, and he left Hornblower grinning at Bush.
“D’you think it’s time for us to dine too?” he asked.
“I think so,” said Bush.
The eating house in Broad Street was run, as might almost have been expected, by a woodenlegged sailor. He had a pert son to assist him, who stood by when they sat at a scrubbed oaken table on oak benches, their feet in the sawdust, and ordered their dinner.
“Ale?” asked the boy.
“No. No ale,” said Hornblower.
The pert boy’s manner gave some indication of what he thought about gentlemen of the navy who ate the fourpenny ordinary and drank nothing with it. He dumped the loaded plates in front of them: boiled mutton—not very much mutton—potatoes and carrots and parsnips and barley and a dab of pease pudding, all swimming in pale gravy.
“It keeps away hunger,” said Hornblower.
It might indeed do that, but apparently Hornblower had not kept hunger away lately. He began to eat his food with elaborate unconcern, but with each mouthful his appetite increased and his restraint decreased. In an extraordinarily short time his plate was empty; he mopped it clean with his bread and ate the bread. Bush was not a slow eater, but he was taken a little aback when he looked up and saw that Hornblower had finished every mouthful while his own plate was still half full. Hornblower laughed nervously.
“Eating alone gives one bad habits,” he said—and the best proof of his embarrassment was the lameness of his explanation.
He was aware of that, as soon as he had spoken, and he tried to carry it off by leaning back on his bench in a superior fashion; and to show how much at ease he was he thrust his hands into the side pockets of his coat. As he did so his whole expression changed. He lost some of the little colour there was in his cheeks. There was utter consternation in his expression—there was even fear. Bush took instant alarm; he thought Hornblower must have had a seizure, and it was only after that first thought that he connected Hornblower’s changed appearance with his gesture of putting his hands in his pockets. But a man who had found a snake in his pocket would hardly wear that look of horror.
“What’s the matter?” asked Bush. “What in God’s name—?”
Hornblower slowly drew his right hand out of his pocket. He kept it closed for a moment round what it held, and then he opened it, slowly, reluctantly, like a man fearful of his destiny. Harmless enough; it was a silver coin—a half crown.
“That’s nothing to take on about,” said Bush, quite puzzled. “I wouldn’t even mind finding a half crown in my pocket.”
“But—but—” stammered Hornblower, and Bush began to realise some of the implications.
“It wasn’t there this morning,” said Hornblower, and then he smiled the old bitter smile. “I know too well what money I have in my pockets.”
“I suppose you do,” agreed Bush; but even now, with his mind going back through the events of the morning, and making the obvious deductions, he could not understand quite why Hornblower should be so worried. “That wench put it there?”
“Yes. Maria,” said Hornblower. “It must have been her. That’s why she took my coat to sponge it.”
“She’s a good soul,” said Bush.
“Oh God!” said Hornblower. “But I can’t—I can’t—”
“Why not?” asked Bush, and he really thought that question unanswerable.
“No,” said Hornblower. “It’s—it’s—I wish she hadn’t done it. The poor girl—”
“’Poor girl’ be blowed!” said Bush. “She’s only trying to do you a good turn.”
Hornblower looked at him for a long time without speaking, and then he made a little hopeless gesture as though despairing of ever making Bush see the matter from his point of view.
“You can look like that if you like,” said Bush, steadily, determined to stick to his guns, “but there’s no need to act as if the French had landed just because a girl slips half a crown into your pocket.”
“But don’t you see—” began Hornblower, and then he finally abandoned all attempt at explanation. Under Bush’s puzzled gaze he mastered himself. The unhappiness left his face, and he assumed his old inscrutable look—it was as if he had shut down the vizor of a helmet over his face.
“Very well,” he said. “We’ll make the most of it, by God!”
Then he rapped on the table:
“Boy!”
“Yessir.”
“We’ll have a pint of wine. Let someone run and fetch it at once. A pint of wine—port wine.”
“Yessir.”
“And what’s the pudding today?”
“Currant duff, sir.”
“Good. We’ll have some. Both of us. And let’s have a saucer of jam to spread on it.”
“Yessir.”
“And we’ll need cheese before our wine. Is there any cheese in the house, or must you send out for some?”
“There’s some in the house, sir.”
“Then put it on the table.”
“Yessir.”
Now was it not, thought Bush, exactly what might be expected of Hornblower that he should push away the half of his huge slice of currant duff unfinished? And he only had a nibble of cheese, hardly enough to clear his palate. He raised his glass, and Bush followed his example.
“To a lovely lady,” said Hornblower.
They drank, and now there was an irresponsible twinkle in Hornblower’s eyes that worried Bush even while he told himself that he was tired of Hornblower’s tantrums. He decided to change the subject, and he prided himself on the tactful way in which he did so.
“To a fortunate evening,” he said, raising his glass in his turn.
“A timely toast,” said Hornblower.
“You can afford to play?” asked Bush.
“Naturally.”
“You can stand another run of bad luck?”
“I can afford to lose one rubber,” answered Hornblower.
“Oh.”
“But on the other hand if I win the first I can afford to lose the next two. And if I win the first and second I can afford to lose the next three. And so on.”
“Oh.”
That did not sound too hopeful; and Hornblower’s gleaming eyes looking at him from his wooden countenance were postively disturbing. Bush shifted uneasily in his seat and changed the conversation again.
“They’re putting the Hastings into commission again,” he said. “Had you heard?”
“Yes. Peacetime establishment—three lieutenants, and all three selected two months back.”
/>
“I was afraid that was so.”
“But our chance will come,” said Hornblower. “Here’s to it.”
“D’you think Parry will bring Lambert to the Long Rooms?” asked Bush when he took the glass from his lips.
“I have no doubt about it,” said Hornblower.
Now he was restless again.
“I must be back there soon,” he said. “Parry might hurry Lambert through his dinner.”
“My guess is that he would,” said Bush, preparing to rise.
There’s no necessity for you to come back with me if you don’t care to,” said Hornblower. “You might find it wearisome to sit idle there.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for worlds,” said Bush.
Chapter XX
The Long Rooms were full with the evening crowd. At nearly every table in the outer room there were earnest parties playing serious games, while through the curtained door that opened into the inner room came a continuous murmur that indicated that play in there was exciting and noisy. But for Bush standing restlessly by the fire, occasionally exchanging absentminded remarks with the people who came and went, there was only one point of interest, and that was the candlelit table near the wall where Hornblower was playing in very exalted society. His companions were the two admirals and a colonel of infantry, the latter a bulky man with a face almost as red as his coat, whom Parry had brought with him along with Admiral Lambert. The flag lieutenant who had previously partnered Parry was now relegated to the role of onlooker, and stood beside Bush, and occasionally made incomprehensible remarks about the play. The Marquis had looked in more than once. Bush had observed his glance to rest upon the table with something of approval. No matter if there were others who wanted to play; no matter if the rules of the room gave any visitor the right to join a table at the conclusion of a rubber; a party that included two flag officers and a field officer could do as it pleased.
Hornblower had won the first rubber to Bush’s enormous relief, although actually he had not been able to follow the details of the play and the score well enough to know that such was the case until the cards were swept up and payments made. He saw Hornblower tuck away some money into that breast pocket.
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