"The Last Encounter" is a short story by C. S. Forester which provides the final chapter in the life of his fictional naval hero Horatio Hornblower.
Recently promoted to the well-paid but honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet, he reflects that life as a country gentleman is pleasant and secure but dull.
Barbara is favourably impressed with the man's charming manners and persuades her husband to provide a carriage, although Hornblower remains convinced that the Frenchman is a lunatic.
After winning the election, the Prince-President confers on Hornblower the insignia of a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and sends a sapphire to Barbara in gratitude for their timely aid.
C. S. Forester confided that he had written the concluding Hornblower story but that it was under secure storage: "locked in my publisher's vault as a legacy to my wife and sons".