Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter IV. From the Kerguelen Isles to Prince Edward Island
HisabodewaspointedouttomeandIcalledatthehouse.Afirstdisappointment!HehadleftAmerica,andIcouldnotseehim.Unfortunately,beingunabletoseeEdgarPoe,IwasunabletorefertoArthurGordonPyminthecase.ThatboldpioneeroftheAntarcticregionswasdead!AstheAmericanpoethadstated,atthecloseofthenarrativeofhisadventures,Gordon’sdeathhadalreadybeenmadeknowntothepublicbythedailypress.”
WhatCaptainLenGuysaidwastrue;but,incommonwithallthereadersoftheromance,Ihadtakenthisdeclarationforanartificeofthenovelist.Mynotionwasthat,asheeithercouldnotordarednotwindupsoextraordinaryaworkofimagination,PoehadgivenittobeunderstoodthathehadnotreceivedthelastthreechaptersfromArthurPym,whoselifehadendedundersuddenanddeplorablecircumstanceswhichPoedidnotmakeknown.
“Then,”continuedthecaptain,“EdgarPoebeingabsent,ArthurPymbeingdead,Ihadonlyonethingtodo;tofindthemanwhohadbeenthefellow-travellerofArthurPym,thatDirkPeterswhohadfollowedhimtotheveryvergeofthehighlatitudes,andwhencetheyhadbothreturned—how?Thisisnotknown.Didtheycomebackincompany?Thenarrativedoesnotsay,andthereareobscurepointsinthatpartofit,asinmanyotherplaces.However,EdgarPoestatedexplicitlythatDirkPeterswouldbeabletofurnishinformationrelatingtothenon-communicatedchapters,andthathelivedatIllinois.IsetoutatonceforIllinois;IarrivedatSpringfield;Iinquiredforthisman,ahalf-breedIndian.
