Діти капітана Гранта

           "Oh!"saidLordGlenarvan;"theMajorisabsorbedinhiscigar;"youmustn’ttearhimfromit.Heisaninveteratesmoker,MissMary,Icantellyou.Heisalwayssmoking,evenwhilehesleeps."

           TheMajorgaveanassentingnod,andLordGlenarvanandhispartywentbelow.

           McNabbsremainedalone,talkingtohimself,aswashishabit,andwassoonenvelopedinstillthickercloudsofsmoke.Hestoodmotionless,watchingthetrackoftheyacht.Aftersomeminutesofthissilentcontemplationheturnedround,andsuddenlyfoundhimselffacetofacewithanewcomer.Certainly,ifanythingcouldhavesurprisedhim,thisRENCONTREwould,forhehadneverseenthestrangerinhislifebefore.

           Hewasatall,thin,withered-lookingman,aboutfortyyearsofage,andresembledalongnailwithabighead.Hisheadwaslargeandmassive,hisforeheadhigh,hischinverymarked.Hiseyeswereconcealedbyenormousroundspectacles,andinhislookwasthatpeculiarindecisionwhichiscommontonyctalopes,orpeoplewhohaveapeculiarconstructionoftheeye,whichmakesthesightimperfectinthedayandbetteratnight.Itwasevidentfromhisphysiognomythathewasalively,intelligentman;hehadnotthecrabbedexpressionofthosegraveindividualswhoneverlaughonprinciple,andcovertheiremptinesswithamaskofseriousness.Helookedfarfromthat.Hiscareless,good-humoredair,andeasy,unceremoniousmanners,showedplainlythatheknewhowtotakemenandthingsontheirbrightside.Butthoughhehadnotyetopenedhismouth,hegaveonetheimpressionofbeingagreattalker,andmoreover,oneofthoseabsentfolkswhoneitherseethoughtheyarelooking,norhearthoughtheyarelistening.Heworeatravelingcap,andstrong,low,yellowbootswithleathergaiters.