16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'I mean it was wonderfully well timed, since it
meant we had a well-manned, well-equipped
Navy to cope with the French when they declared
war on us a little later. Bless the Spanish
Disturbance.'
'By all means. But, Jack, I could have sworn
your commission was dated 1792. Sophie
showed it to me with such pride. Yet our wine
is 1789.'
'Of course it is. That was when the Disturbance
started – the very beginning, when
those wicked dogs seized our ships. The talking
and the rearmament went on until ninetytwo,
when the Spaniards pulled in their horns
as they did over the Falklands some time before.
But it all began in eighty-nine. A precious
date for me: a wonderful year and I had great
hopes of it as soon as the news came home.'
He paused for a while, sipping his port and
smiling at his recollections; then he said 'Tell