Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter VI. An Ocean Waif
Sothenitwasalltrue?EdgarPoe’sworkwasthatofanhistorian,notawriterofromance?ArthurGordonPym’sjournalhadactuallybeenconfidedtohim!Directrelationshadbeenestablishedbetweenthem!ArthurPymexisted,orratherhehadexisted,hewasarealbeing!Andhehaddied,byasuddenanddeplorabledeathundercircumstancesnotrevealedbeforehehadcompletedthenarrativeofhisextraordinaryvoyage.AndwhatparallelhadhereachedonleavingTsalalIslandwithhiscompanion,DirkPeters,andhowhadbothofthembeenrestoredtotheirnativeland,America?
Ithoughtmyheadwasturning,thatIwasgoingmad—IwhoaccusedCaptainGuyofbeinginsane!No!Ihadnotheardaright!Ihadmisunderstood!Thiswasamerephantomofmyfancy!
Andyet,howwasItorejecttheevidencefoundonthebodyofthemateoftheJane,thatPattersonwhosewordsweresupportedbyascertaineddates?Andaboveall,howcouldIretainadoubt,afterJamesWest,whowasthemostself-possessedamongus,hadsucceededindecipheringthefollowingfragmentsofsentences:—
“Driftingsincethe3rdofJunenorthofTsalalIsland...Stillthere...CaptainWilliamGuyandfiveofthemenoftheJane—thepieceoficeIamonisdriftingacrosstheiceberg...foodwillsoonfailme...Sincethe13thofJune...mylastresourcesexhausted...to-day...16thofJune...Iamgoingtodie
