Chapters 6 and 7 Summary

A very sick Hornblower meets St. Vincent at the appointed hour, and they slog through mud in dirty weather to take a carriage to St. James. Hornblower is distressed because he is so ill, but in one respect his cold is a blessing—it prevents him from endless fretting about meeting the King. The carriage arrives and the men debark and move through a maze of uniformed officers and guards. At the appropriate time, they are presented to the King, who makes brief but polite inquiry into Hornblower's recent activities. The King then makes a sort of snap decision and announces that Hornblower's command should prove suitable for His Serene Highness. Hornblower does not understand the oblique reference, but one does not question the King.

Hornblower is then maneuvered to a smaller group of people, and he follows St. Vincent's...