They were lighting fresh candles; the old ones were burned to stubs. Was the night then passing so fast? Dawn would be here soon, soon — day breaks early in June. He met the eyes of one of the watchers, although the latter tried to evade his glance. He tried to force himself to smile, and knew instantly that the smile was lopsided and forced. A rattle outside the door. That could not be that they were coming for him already! Yes it was, the bars were clashing, the door was opening, the aide-de-camp was entering. Hornblower tried to rise to his feet, and to his horror found that his legs were too weak to support him. He made another effort to stand, unavailing again. He must sit and let them drag him out like a coward. He forced himself to raise his chin and look at the aide-de-camp, trying not to make it the fixed and glassy stare he knew it to be.
“It is not death,” said the aide-de-camp.
Hornblower looked; he tried to speak, but no word came from his open mouth. And the aide-de-camp was trying to force a smile too — an ingratiating smile.
“There is news from Belgium,” said the aide-de-camp. “The Emperor has been defeated in a great battle. At a place called Waterloo. Already Wellington and Blücher are over the frontier and marching on Paris. The Emperor is there already and the Senate are demanding that he abdicate again.”
Hornblower’s heart was pounding so hard that he was still incapable of speech.
“His Excellency the General,” went on the aide-de-camp, “has decided that in this case the executions are not to take place this morning.”
Hornblower found speech at last.
“I will not insist,” he said.
The aide-de-camp went on to say something about the restoration of His Most Christian Majesty, but Hornblower did not listen to him. He was wondering about Richard. And Barbara.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
FB2 document info
Document ID: 6e94a241-8437-4bd6-a898-2c63bcbe1d1b
Document version: 1
Document creation date: 24.4.2012
Created using: calibre 0.8.3 software
Document authors :
C. S. Forester
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10 Lord Hornblower hh-10 Page 26