Короли и капуста
The Lotus and the Bottle
Thebreakfastconsistedofshark’sfinsoup,stewoflandcrabs,breadfruit,aboilediguanasteak,aguacates,afreshlycutpineapple,claretandcoffee.
Geddietookhisseat,andunrolledwithluxuriouslazinesshisbundleofnewspapers.HereinCoraliofortwodaysorlongerhewouldreadofgoings-onintheworldverymuchasweoftheworldreadthosewhimsicalcontributionstoinexactsciencethatassumetoportraythedoingsoftheMartians.AfterhehadfinishedwiththepaperstheywouldbesentontheroundsoftheotherEnglish-speakingresidentsofthetown.
ThepaperthatcamefirsttohishandwasoneofthosebulkymattressesofprintedstuffuponwhichthereadersofcertainNewYorkjournalsaresupposedtotaketheirSabbathliterarynap.Openingthistheconsulrestedituponthetable,supportingitsweightwiththeaidofthebackofachair.Thenhepartookofhismealdeliberately,turningtheleavesfromtimetotimeandglancinghalfidlyatthecontents.
Presentlyhewasstruckbysomethingfamiliartohiminapicture—ahalf-page,badlyprintedreproductionofaphotographofavessel.Languidlyinterested,heleanedforanearerscrutinyandaviewofthefloridheadlinesofthecolumnnexttothepicture.
Yes;hewasnotmistaken.Theengravingwasoftheeight-hundred-tonyachtIdalia,belongingto"thatprinceofgoodfellows,Midasofthemoneymarket,andsociety’spinkofperfection,J.WardTolliver."
Slowlysippinghisblackcoffee,Geddiereadthecolumnofprint.FollowingalistedstatementofMr.
