The Last Encounter
Encyclopedia
"The Last Encounter" is a short story by C. S. Forester
, the final chapter in the life of his fictional naval hero, Horatio Hornblower
. It was published together with the unfinished novel Hornblower and the Crisis
and another short story, "Hornblower and the Widow McCool
".
, is enjoying a well-earned retirement on his English estate when, late one night, a seemingly mad man claiming to be Napoleon Bonaparte arrives at his front door and requests his help. The Frenchman has been travelling by train to Dover, but a landslide has delayed the train and he is seeking assistance to complete his journey. Hornblower's wife Barbara is favourably impressed with the man's manners and persuades her husband to provide his carriage to oblige the visitor.
Later, the Hornblowers find that their caller really was Napoleon—Napoleon III of France, nephew of Napoleon I, and that he was on his way to Paris to contest the office of President of France. After winning the election, he confers on Hornblower the insignia of a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in gratitude for his timely assistance. Arguably this clashes with his staunch British patriotism, but by this stage in his career Hornblower has softened in his fierce introspection and has come to appreciate there are more important things in life than self doubt, such as indiscriminately aiding a man in need.
C. S. Forester
Cecil Scott "C.S." Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith , an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen...
, the final chapter in the life of his fictional naval hero, Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy officer who is the protagonist of a series of novels by C. S. Forester. He was later the subject of films and television programs.The original Hornblower tales began with the 1937 novel The Happy Return Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy...
. It was published together with the unfinished novel Hornblower and the Crisis
Hornblower and the Crisis
Hornblower and the Crisis is a 1967 historical novel by C. S. Forester. It forms part of the Horatio Hornblower series, and as a result of C.S. Forester's death in 1966, it was left unfinished. There is a one-page summary of the last several chapters of the book found on the final page, taken from...
and another short story, "Hornblower and the Widow McCool
Hornblower and the Widow McCool
"Hornblower and the Widow McCool" is a short story by C. S. Forester, featuring his fictional naval hero, Horatio Hornblower. It was published together with the unfinished novel Hornblower and the Crisis and another short story, "The Last Encounter"...
".
Plot summary
In 1848, Hornblower, now an Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
, is enjoying a well-earned retirement on his English estate when, late one night, a seemingly mad man claiming to be Napoleon Bonaparte arrives at his front door and requests his help. The Frenchman has been travelling by train to Dover, but a landslide has delayed the train and he is seeking assistance to complete his journey. Hornblower's wife Barbara is favourably impressed with the man's manners and persuades her husband to provide his carriage to oblige the visitor.
Later, the Hornblowers find that their caller really was Napoleon—Napoleon III of France, nephew of Napoleon I, and that he was on his way to Paris to contest the office of President of France. After winning the election, he confers on Hornblower the insignia of a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in gratitude for his timely assistance. Arguably this clashes with his staunch British patriotism, but by this stage in his career Hornblower has softened in his fierce introspection and has come to appreciate there are more important things in life than self doubt, such as indiscriminately aiding a man in need.