Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XV. Bennet Islet
ThetruthisthatIregardedseveralofthesedetailsas“suspect,”andentirelyduetoanover-imaginativetemperament.
Seatedfaraftintheship,IreadEdgarPoe’sbookwithsedulousattention,butIwasnotunawareofthefactthatHunt,wheneverhisdutiesfurnishedhimwithanopportunity,observedmepertinaciously,andwithlooksofsingularmeaning.
And,infact,Iwasre-perusingtheendofChapterXVII.,inwhichArthurPymacknowledgedhisresponsibilityforthesadandtragiceventswhichweretheresultsofhisadvice.Itwas,infact,hewhoover-persuadedCaptainWilliamGuy,urginghim“toprofitbysotemptinganopportunityofsolvingthegreatproblemrelatingtotheAntarcticContinent.”And,besides,whileacceptingthatresponsibility,didhenotcongratulatehimselfonhavingbeentheinstrumentofagreatdiscovery,andhavingaidedinsomedegreetorevealtoscienceoneofthemostmarvelloussecretswhichhadeverclaimeditsattention?
Atsixo’clockthesundisappearedbehindathickcurtainofmist.Aftermidnightthebreezefreshened,andtheHalbrane’sprogressmarkedadozenadditionalmiles.
Onthemorrowthegoodshipwaslessthanthethirdofadegree,thatistosaylessthantwentymiles,fromTsalalIsland.
Unfortunately,justaftermid-day,thewindfell.Nevertheless,thankstothecurrent,theIslandofTsalalwassignalledatforty-fiveminutespastsixintheevening.
Theanchorwascast,awatchwasset,withloadedfirearmswithinhand-reach,andboarding-netsready
