Короли и капуста
The Lotus and the Bottle
Throwingoffhishatandcoat,andlightingalamp—forthenighthadcrowdedprecipitatelyuponthebrieftwilight—hebegantoexaminehispieceofseasalvage.
Byholdingthebottlenearthelightandturningitjudiciously,hemadeoutthatitcontainedadoublesheetofnote-paperfilledwithclosewriting;further,thatthepaperwasofthesamesizeandshadeasthatalwaysusedbyIda;andthat,tothebestofhisbelief,thehandwritingwashers.Theimperfectglassofthebottlesodistortedtheraysoflightthathecouldreadnowordofthewriting;butcertaincapitalletters,ofwhichhecaughtcomprehensiveglimpses,wereIda’s,hefeltsure.
TherewasalittlesmilebothofperplexityandamusementinGeddie’seyesashesetthebottledown,andlaidthreecigarssidebysideonhisdesk.Hefetchedhissteamerchairfromthegallery,andstretchedhimselfcomfortably.Hewouldsmokethosethreecigarswhileconsideringtheproblem.
Foritamountedtoaproblem.Healmostwishedthathehadnotfoundthebottle;butthebottlewasthere.Whyshouldithavedriftedinfromthesea,whencecomesomanydisquietingthings,todisturbhispeace?
Inthisdreamyland,wheretimeseemedsoredundant,hehadfallenintothehabitofbestowingmuchthoughtuponeventriflingmatters.
Hebegantospeculateuponmanyfancifultheoriesconcerningthestoryofthebottle,rejectingeachinturn.
Shipsindangerofwreckordisablementsometimescastforthsuchprecariousmessengerscallingforaid.
