Таємничий острів

           "Thatisimpossible,mydearSpilett."

           "Whyso?"askedthereporter.

           "Becausethedocumentwouldthenhavespokenoftwocastaways,"repliedHarding,"anditmentionedonlyone."

           Herberttheninafewwordsrelatedtheincidentsofthevoyage,anddweltonthecuriousfactofthesortofpassinggleamintheprisoner’smind,whenforaninstantintheheightofthestormhehadbecomeasailor.

           "Well,Herbert,"repliedtheengineer,"youarerighttoattachgreatimportancetothisfact.Theunfortunatemancannotbeincurable,anddespairhasmadehimwhatheis;butherehewillfindhisfellow-men,andsincethereisstillasoulinhim,thissoulweshallsave!"

           ThecastawayofTaborIsland,tothegreatpityoftheengineerandthegreatastonishmentofNeb,wasthenbroughtfromthecabinwhichheoccupiedintheforepartofthe"Bonadventure";whenonceonlandhemanifestedawishtorunaway.

           ButCyrusHardingapproaching,placedhishandonhisshoulderwithagesturefullofauthority,andlookedathimwithinfinitetenderness.Immediatelytheunhappyman,submittingtoasuperiorwill,graduallybecamecalm,hiseyesfell,hisheadbent,andhemadenomoreresistance.

           "Poorfellow!"murmuredtheengineer.

           CyrusHardinghadattentivelyobservedhim.Tojudgebyhisappearancethismiserablebeinghadnolongeranythinghumanabouthim,andyetHarding,ashadthereporteralready,observedinhislookanindefinabletraceofintelligence.