"I think, my lord," said he, "that Admiral Collingwood must have been
doubtful, just then, what responsibility had fallen upon him, or how
soon it might fall. He had sent for me to 'stand by' so to speak.
He was good enough to tell me the news as it had reached him--"
Here Lieutenant Lapenotiere, obeying the order to fill his glass, let
spill some of the wine on the table. The sight of the dark trickle
on the mahogany touched some nerve of the brain: he saw it widen into
a pool of blood, from which, as they picked up a shattered seaman and
bore him below, a lazy stream crept across the deck of the flag-ship
towards the scuppers. He moved his feet, as he had moved them then,
to be out of the way of it: but recovered himself in another moment
and went on--
"He told me, my lord, that the _Victory_ after passing under the
_Bucentaure's_ stern, and so raking her that she was put out of
action, or almost, fell alongside the _Redoutable_. There was a long
swell running, with next to no wind, and the two ships could hardly
have cleared had they tried. At any rate, they hooked, and it was
then a question which could hammer the harder.
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