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ard to join the procession next； and after two or three more couples had joined behind him the procession began to move forward； its tail being steadily lengthened as it went。 Hornblower kept his eyes on the Persian Ambassador before him； they passed down the avenue of footmen； and entered the next room。
The procession was breaking off to left and to right in alternate couples as though in a country dance； the Persian Ambassador went to the left； and Hornblower was ready to go to the right without the prompting of the gesture of the Grand Marshal； who was standing there ready to direct anyone in doubt。 It was another enormous room； lit by what seemed to be hundreds of cut…glass chandeliers dangling from the roof； and all down the length of it ran a vast table … miles long； it seemed； to Hornblower's disordered imagination … covered with gold plate and crystal and embanked with flowers。 The table was shaped like a T with a very small crosspiece； and the royal party had already taken their seats at the head； behind every chair all the way down stood a white…wigged footman。 It dawned upon Hornblower that dinner was about to begin； the food and drink which had been served in the domed hall had been something extra and introductory。 Hornblower was ready to laugh at himself for his idiotic lack of prehension at the same time as he was ready to groan with despair at the thought of having to eat his way through an Imperial dinner in his present distended condition。
Save for royalty； the men were standing at their chairs while the ladies sat； across the table the Persian Ambassador was bending affably over the young woman he had brought in； and the aigrette in his turban nodded and his diamonds flashed。 The last woman took her seat； and then the men sat down together … not quite as simultaneously as marines presenting arms； but almost so。 A babble of conversation began immediately； and almost immediately a golden soup plate was put under Hornblower's nose and a golden soup tureen full of pink soup was offered to him 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 ho