Копи царя Соломона
I Meet Sir Henry Curtis
"AsIdaresayyouknow,"wentonSirHenry,"ifamandiesintestate,andhasnopropertybutland,realpropertyitiscalledinEngland,italldescendstohiseldestson. Itsohappenedthatjustatthetimewhenwequarrelledourfatherdiedintestate.Hehadputoffmakinghiswilluntilitwastoolate. Theresultwasthatmybrother,whohadnotbeenbroughtuptoanyprofession,wasleftwithoutapenny. Ofcourseitwouldhavebeenmydutytoprovideforhim,butatthetimethequarrelbetweenuswassobitterthatIdidnot—tomyshameIsayit(andhesigheddeeply)—offertodoanything. ItwasnotthatIgrudgedhimjustice,butIwaitedforhimtomakeadvances,andhemadenone. Iamsorrytotroubleyouwithallthis,Mr.Quatermain,butImusttomakethingsclear,eh,Good?"
"Quiteso,quiteso,"saidthecaptain. "Mr.Quatermainwill,Iamsure,keepthishistorytohimself."
"Ofcourse,"saidI,forIratherpridemyselfonmydiscretion, forwhich,asSirHenryhadheard,Ihavesomerepute.
"Well,"wentonSirHenry,"mybrotherhadafewhundredpoundstohisaccountatthetime. Withoutsayinganythingtomehedrewoutthispaltrysum,and,havingadoptedthenameofNeville,startedoffforSouthAfricainthewildhopeofmakingafortune. ThisIlearnedafterwards. Somethreeyearspassed,andIheardnothingofmybrother,thoughIwroteseveraltimes. Doubtlessthelettersneverreachedhim. ButastimewentonIgrewmoreandmoretroubledabouthim. Ifoundout,Mr.Quatermain,thatbloodisthickerthanwater."
"That’strue,"saidI,thinkingofmyboyHarry.
"Ifoundout,Mr.Quatermain,thatIwouldhavegivenhalfmyfortunetoknowthatmybrotherGeorge,theonlyrelationIpossess,wassafeandwell,andthatIshouldseehimagain."
