Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

(shouting in French)

I had one of them in my sights.

Why not let me shoot?

Because that is not my plan,

Mr. Hunter.

The plan?

We're here to fight them,

aren't we?

No, we're here to defeat them.

(shouting in French)

Bonjour, mes amis.

All:

Huh?

Les Anglais!

(grunts)

Hunter!

Dubois!

Dubois!

No, it's King George, frog-face!

Come on, men!

Forward, men!

(shouting, grunting)

You evil...

attention...

(speaking French)

(groans):

Oh...

It'll take a bigger rat

than you, boy.

Quarter-deck, get the officers!

I must ask you

to surrender, Captain.

Man:

Lay down your arms!

Very well.

To whom do I have the honor

of surrendering

my ship, sir?

Horatio Hornblower,

acting lieutenant

of His Britannic Majesty's

frigate, Indefatigable.

Mr. Hornblower,

where are the rest of my men?

Lieutenant Dubois?

They met with

an... accident ashore.

But they are unharmed.

Do you want

this one below, sir?

You have my sword.

I will not attempt to escape.

I have already lost

my ship.

I will not compound my shame

by breaking my word.

Today the luck was with me, sir.

Make sail for Gibrattar,

Mr. Hunter.

We will rejoin the Indie.

Aye aye, sir.

Mr. Hornblower's plan

worked out handsomely

didn't it, Mr. Hunter?

Aye, it did.

With some luck it did.

Aye, well, he is lucky,

our Mr. Hornblower.

Got the devil's own luck.

And we should make

a tidy profit

if those whoresons

of prize clerks

don't try to cheat us

of it.

Which they might well do

if they find out

how we cheated to win her.

Sour bastard.

Man:

Hip, hip...

All:

Hooray!

Hip, hip...

hooray!

Hip, hip...

hooray!

The Indie's cheering us,

sir.

Thank you, Matthews.

Keep your eyes

on the job.

Helm-a-lee.

Aye aye, sir.

Let fly!

Douse the staysail!

Come back on those halyards!

And let go!

The capture of Le Reve was

the first successful action

this squadron has taken

against French or Spanish ships

in the entire six weeks

of blockade.

Your plan was good,

your execution excellent.

Thank you, sir.

By my reckoning though,

Mr. Hornblower

it has made you

somewhat richer.

That's why you wanted

the Indefatigable

hid, isn't it?

Not at all, sir.

So that her captain

and her officers

and her men would not have

a share in your fortune.

Sir, I do protest.

That was not

my intention.

The captain

is jesting.

I see, sir,

nevertheless...

How much do you think

the Le Reve is worth,

Mr. Bracegirdle?

A good 4,000, sir.

Makes you richer

by a thousand...

Mr. Hornblower.

Ever had a thousand pound?

A thousand?

No, sir,

not even a hundred.

Oh, well,

at least you'll be able

to spend some of it

on a new uniform.

I can recommend Cutler

and Gross in Portsmouth.

They'd be very happy

to deprive you

of some of your riches.

Portsmouth, sir?

Portsmouth.

They want me to...

I think they "request

and require you to."

Request and require me

to take Le Reve to England.

To Portsmouth.

She is to be purchased

into the service

as a... dispatch vessel.

The utmost expedition.

England, sir?

Yes, England, boy.

A big, damp, foggy island,

nor-nor east of Ushant.

Think you can find it?

Oh, yes, sir.

Good.

You sail tomorrow.

However, before you slip

your moorings, Mr. Hornblower

I think you will find here

a much sterner test.

Their excellencies,

Major General Sir Hew

and Lady Dalrymple,

request the pleasure

of Sir Edward Pellew and...

acting Lieutenant Horatio...

Dinner?

At Government House?

Dinner?

Bet you wish you had

that new uniform now

eh, Mr. Hornblower?

What do I do if they ask me

To carve, Mr. Hunter?

I doubt they'd risk

your ruining their dinner.

Here, try these.

Well, if they do, remember, carve

away from the bone.

Venison, thick slices.

Mutton, medium.

Beef, thin.

And, uh, try not to saw

at the chicken.

Thank you, sir.

Venison...

Thick.

Venison thick.

Mutton, medium... beef.

They won't have venison,

will they?

No. Gib's been beleaguered

two years now.

Main dish will probably

be monkey.

Monkey?

Hmm.

Um, rock ape.

And monkey you mince

with a sort of a...

chopping motion.

Monkey, mince.

Chopping motion.

Hmm.

(chuckling softly)

Thank you, Mr. Hunter.

Most helpful.

Ah, yes.

Well, what you could do

is stuff them

with some of the surplus food.

That'll take out

the slack

and, uh, give your

starving friends a treat.

I hear Sir Hew keeps

an uncommon fine table.

Perhaps you would share

your good fortune with us.

Oakum.

Hokum?

Sticking plaster,

pads of oakum.

Excuse me.

(creaking)

May I introduce

acting Lieutenant

Horatio Hornblower

captain of Le Reve.

Good evening,

Mr. Hornblower.

Sir Hew, Lady Dalrymple.

Captain?

What, that puppy?

Are you entrusting me

to a mere babe, Sir Hew?

(chuckles)

Your Grace.

If I may present

Sir Edward Pellew

captain

of the Indefatigable

and acting Lieutenant

Hornblower

Her grace, the Duchess

of Wharfedale.

Look at the lad.

He's like a goose on a green.

Any second now,

he'll be hissing at me.

(hisses)

(laughs)

Er, sorry, Your Grace.

Oh, don't be, Mr. Hornblower.

I expect you're right proud

of yourself

Getting a ship at your age.

Dalrymple:

Gentlemen, my chef is of

a combustible temperament.

Let us not keep him waiting.

Your Grace.

Thank you.

Duchess:

Come along.

(laughing)

Your heatth, my lady.

Your Grace.

At last, Sir Edward.

I was choking.

Mm-hmm.

Oops, I'm forgetting

my manners.

To you, Sir Hew.

And to the lad and me having

a safe voyage home.

(gulping loudly)

(hiccups)

Oh.

I hope your cellar boasts

as good as this,

Mr. Hornblower.

My cellar?

On your ship.

You have to keep

your passengers happy,

don't you?

Passengers, Your Grace?

You have been given

the honor, Mr. Hornblower

of bearing her grace

back to England.

Yes.

Yes, you sail

with one of England's

luckiest captains, Your Grace.

Oh, why?

Because he's got to cart me

back to England?

(laughter)

Yes, that too, yes.

But while England's pride

the great ships of the line

and her frigates

were beating

up and down these coasts

searching for the Spaniards

and finding nothing

but pilchards

Mr. Hornblower here puts into

shore with a couple of men

and takes a French ship,

her captain

and the entire crew...

with the exception of those

he put to the sword, of course.

I had many more than

a couple of men, Your Grace.

(appreciative murmuring)

(whispers):

Look at that.

Dalrymple:

Mr. Hornblower.

You have the chef's masterpiece,

I believe.

Be so good as to carve it.

Ooh, it's suffered enough,

Mr. H.

You don't have to

kill it again.

(laughter)

(bell rings)

He's a lucky dog,

that Hornblower, eh?

He'll be tucking

into the capons,

roast beef, plum duff.

Don't you envy him,

Mr. Hunter?

No, sir.

Beef and biscuits does me fine.

You, uh, sail

with Mr. Hornblower

tomorrow, do you not?

Yes, sir.

It goes without saying

that he can depend on

your wholehearted support.

I am the King's man, sir.

I follow my captain's orders.

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