- The Last Encounter
Infobox short story
name = The Last Encounter
title_orig =
translator =
author =C. S. Forester
country =United Kingdom
language = English
series =Horatio Hornblower
genre = Historicalshort story
published_in =Hornblower and the Crisis
publisher = Michael Joseph, London
media_type = Print (Hardback &Paperback )
pub_date =1967
english_pub_date =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "The Last Encounter" is a short story byC. 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 ".Plot summary
In 1848, Hornblower is enjoying a well-earned retirement on his English estate when, late one night, a seeming madman claiming to be
Napoleon requests his assistance. The Frenchman urgently needs to get to Paris, but his carriage has broken down on the way to a waiting ship. Hornblower's wife Barbara is favourably impressed with the man's manners and persuades her husband to provide transportation.Later, they learn that they had in fact helped
Napoleon III , the nephew of Hornblower's great enemy, on his way to vie for and win an election for President of France. As thanks for his assistance, Hornblower is made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
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