Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
ItseemedtomethatIwaslosingmyselfinhisextraordinarypersonality;atlastIwasbeholdingallthathehadseen!Wasnotthatimpenetrablemistthecurtainofvapourswhichhehadseeninhisdelirium?Ipeeredintoit,seekingforthoseluminousrayswhichhadstreakedtheskyfromeasttowest!Isoughtinitsdepthsforthatlimitlesscataract,rollinginsilencefromtheheightofsomeimmenserampartlostinthevastnessofthezenith!IsoughtfortheawfulwhitegiantoftheSouthPole!
Atlengthreasonresumedhersway.Thisvisionarymadness,intoxicatingwhileitlasted,passedoffbydegrees,andIdescendedtheslopetoourcamp.
Thewholedaypassedwithoutachange.Thefogneveronceliftedtogiveusaglimpseoutsideofitsmufflingfolds,andiftheiceberg,whichhadtravelledfortymilessincethepreviousday,hadpassedbytheextremityoftheaxisoftheearth,weshouldneverknowit.
