Chapter I: Preface

As I sat, years ago, in the Admiral’s cabin of Nelson’s flag-ship, the _Foudroyant_, the thought of this romance came to me, for this ship was the sea-shrine of that great but errant passion. She is a wreck now, her stranded ribs are green with weed, her bones are broken in the wash of the tide. A grave at sea amidst the answering thunder and flash of guns would have been a nobler ending.

But the story, with all its love, cruelty and heroism, remains alike beyond oblivion, condemnation or pardon. It is. It has its niche beside the other great passions which have moulded the world’s history. For if Nelson knew himself when he declared that Emma was part and parcel of the fire breaking out of him, without her inspiration Trafalgar might not have been.

I have treated it imaginatively, yet have not, as I think, departed from the essential truth which I have sought in many famous biographies such as Mahan’s, Sichel’s, Laughton’s and others.

Yet the best biographies of Emma are the lovely portraits Romney left of his Divine Lady, and of Nelson the best is the sea-cathedral, the _Victory_, at rest in the last home port he sailed from to his splendid doom. From these all the rest of the story might well be reconstructed.

E. BARRINGTON
Canada

CONTENTS

PART I

I HOW GREVILLE MET HER 3
II THE ACQUAINTANCE RIPENS 22
III THE EXPLOSION 36
IV PEACE AND CATSPAWS 49
V THE RIFT 63
VI THE FAIR TEA MAKER 77
VII DISCUSSION 88
VIII THE BARGAIN 99

PART II

IX THE BARGAIN CONCLUDED 115
X THE GREAT ADVENTURE 128
XI ADVANCE AND RETREAT 140
XII THE BEGINNING 153
XIII THE PROCESS 170
XIV THE WAY TO TRIUMPH 185
XV ACHIEVEMENT 203
XVI TRIUMPH 219

PART III

XVII NELSON (1793) 235
XVIII THE NEAPOLITAN COURT 245
XIX DIPLOMACY 261
XX THE NILE 280
XXI THE GARDEN OF ARMIDA 295

PART IV

XXII THE MERIDIAN 315
XXIII CIRCE 331
XXIV DESCENT 352
XXV FANNY 366
XXVI PARTING 386
XXVII SUNSET 406