下载辰思小说免费APP
Lovedaythenpassedontotheharbour，whereheremainedawhile，lookingatthebusysceneofloadingandunloadingcraftandswabbingthedecksofyachts；attheboatsandbargesrubbingagainstthequaywall，andatthehousesofthemerchants，someancientstructuresofsolidstone，othersgreen-shutteredwithheavywoodenbow-windowswhichappearedasifabouttodropintotheharbourbytheirownweight。Allthesethingshegazedupon，andthoughtofonething——thathehadcausedgreatmiserytohisbrotherJohn。
Thetownclockstruck，andBobretracedhisstepstillheagainapproachedtheEsplanadeandGloucesterLodge，wherethemorningsunblazedinuponthehousefronts，andnotaspotofshadeseemedtobeattainable。Ahuzzaingattractedhisattention，andheobservedthatanumberofpeoplehadgatheredbeforetheKing’sresidence，whereabrowncurriclehadstopped，outofwhichsteppedahalemanintheprimeoflife，wearingablueuniform，giltepaulettes，cockedhat，andsword，whocrossedthepavementandwentin。Bobwentupandjoinedthegroup。’What’sgoingon？’hesaid。
’CaptainHardy，’repliedabystander。
’Whatofhim？’
’Justgonein——waitingtoseetheKing。’
’ButthecaptainisintheWestIndies？’
’No。Thefleetiscomehome；theycan’tfindtheFrenchanywhere。’
’Willtheygoandlookforthemagain？’askedBob。
’Oyes。Nelsonisdeterminedtofind’em。Assoonashe’srefittedhe’llputtoseaagain。Ah，here’stheKingcomingin。’
BobwassointerestedinwhathehadjustheardthathescarcelynoticedthearrivaloftheKing，andabodyofattendantgentlemen。
Hewentonthinkingofhisnewknowledge；CaptainHardywascome。
Hewasdoubtlessstayingwithhisfamilyattheirsmallmanor-houseatPos’ham，afewmilesfromOvercombe，whereheusuallyspenttheintervalsbetweenhisdifferentcruises。
Lovedayreturnedtothemillwithoutfurtherdelay；andshortlyexplainingthatJohnwasverywell，andwouldcomesoon，wentontotalkofthearrivalofNelson’scaptain。
’Andishecomeatlast？’saidthemiller，throwinghisthoughtsyearsbackward。’WellcanImindwhenhefirstlefthometogoonboardtheHelenaasmidshipman！’
’That’snotmuchtoremember。Icanrememberittoo，’saidMrs。
Loveday。
’’Tismorethantwentyyearsagoanyhow。Andmorethanthat，Icanmindwhenhewasborn；Iwasalad，servingmy’prenticeshipatthetime。Hehasbeeninthishouseoftenandoftenwhen’awasyoung。
Whenhecamehomeafterhisfirstvoyagehestayedaboutherealongtime，andusedtolookinatthemillwheneverhewentpast。“Whatwillyoubenext，sir？“saidmothertohimonedayashestoodwithhisbacktothedoorpost。“Alieutenant，DameLoveday，“sayshe。
“Andwhatnext？“saysshe。“Acommander。““Andnext？““Next，post-captain。““Andthen？““Thenitwillbealmosttimetodie。“
I’dwarrantthathe’dmindittothisverydayifyouweretoaskhim。’
Bobheardallthiswithamannerofpreoccupation，andsoonretiredtothemill。Thencehewenttohisroombythebackpassage，andtakinghisoldseafaringgarmentsfromadarkclosetinthewallconveyedthemtotheloftatthetopofthemill，whereheoccupiedtheremainingsparemomentsofthedayinbrushingthemildewfromtheirfolds，andhangingeacharticlebythewindowtogetaired。
Intheeveninghereturnedtotheloft，anddressinghimselfintheoldsaltsuit，wentoutofthehouseunobservedbyanybody，andascendedtheroadtowardsCaptainHardy’snativevillageandpresenttemporaryhome。
Theshadelessdownswerenowbrownwiththedroughtsofthepassingsummer，andfewlivingthingsmethisview，thenaturalrotundityoftheelevationbeingonlyoccasionallydisturbedbythepresenceofabarrow，athorn-bush，orapieceofdrywallwhichremainedfromsomeattemptedenclosure。Bythetimethathereachedthevillageitwasdark，andthelargerstarshadbeguntoshinewhenhewalkeduptothedooroftheold-fashionedhousewhichwasthefamilyresidenceofthisbranchoftheSouth-WessexHardys。
’Willthecaptainallowmetowaitonhimto-night？’inquiredLoveday，e
