Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
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“Icouldnot—understandme—Icouldnot.Thetwobrothersaresolikeeachother.InMartinHoltIseemedtoseeNedHolt.Iwasafraid,Igotawayfromhim.”
Thehalf-breeddrewhimselfupwithasuddenmovement,andIsatthinking,leaningmyheadonmyhands.ThesetardyquestionsofHolt’srespectinghisbrotherwereput,Ihadnodoubtwhatsoever,attheinstigationofHearne,butwhatwashismotive,andwasitattheFalklandsthathehaddiscoveredthesecretofDirkPeters?Ihadnotbreathedawordonthesubjecttoanyone.Tothesecondquestionnoanswersuggesteditself;thefirstinvolvedaseriousissue.Didthesealing-mastermerelydesiretogratifyhisenmityagainstDirkPeters,theonlyoneoftheFalklandsailorswhohadalwaystakenthesideofCaptainLenGuy,andwhohadpreventedtheseizureoftheboatbyHearneandhiscompanions?Didhehope,byarousingthewrathandvengeanceofMartinHolt,todetachthesailing-masterfromhisallegianceandinducehimtobecomeanaccompliceinHearne’sowndesigns?And,infact,whenitwasaquestionofsailingtheboatintheseseas,hadhenotimperativeneedofMartinHolt,oneofthebestseamenoftheHalbrane?AmanwhowouldsucceedwhereHearneandhiscompanionswouldfail,iftheyhadonlythemselvestodependon?
Ibecamelostinthislabyrinthofhypotheses,anditmustbeadmittedthatitscomplicationsaddedlargelytothetroublesofanalreadycomplicatedposition.
