Таємний спільник

I

           Imentionthisbecauseithassomebearingonwhatistofollow.ButwhatIfeltmostwasmybeingastrangertotheship;andifallthetruthmustbetold,Iwassomewhatofastrangertomyself.Theyoungestmanonboard(barringthesecondmate),anduntriedasyetbyapositionofthefullestresponsibility,Iwaswillingtotaketheadequacyoftheothersforgranted.Theyhadsimplytobeequaltotheirtasks;butIwonderedhowfarIshouldturnoutfaithfultothatidealconceptionofone’sownpersonalityeverymansetsupforhimselfsecretly.

           Meantimethechiefmate,withanalmostvisibleeffectofcollaborationonthepartofhisroundeyesandfrightfulwhiskers,wastryingtoevolveatheoryoftheanchoredship.Hisdominanttraitwastotakeallthingsintoearnestconsideration.Hewasofapainstakingturnofmind.Asheusedtosay,he“likedtoaccounttohimself”forpracticallyeverythingthatcameinhisway,downtoamiserablescorpionhehadfoundinhiscabinaweekbefore.Thewhyandthewhereforeofthatscorpion—howitgotonboardandcametoselecthisroomratherthanthepantry(whichwasadarkplaceandmorewhatascorpionwouldbepartialto),andhowonearthitmanagedtodrownitselfintheinkwellofhiswritingdesk—hadexercisedhiminfinitely.Theshipwithintheislandswasmuchmoreeasilyaccountedfor;andjustaswewereabouttorisefromtablehemadehispronouncement.Shewas,hedoubtednot,ashipfromhomelatelyarrived.Probablyshedrewtoomuchwatertocrossthebarexceptatthetopofspringtides.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 4 з 58