Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter III. Captain Len Guy
Iwasgreatlysurprised,andsowasAtkins,whenIfoundhimintheeating-roomoftheGreenCormorantandtoldhimwhathadoccurred.Hiscommentuponitwascharacteristic.
“Thisqueercaptain,”hesaid,“isasfullofwhimsasaspoiltchild!Itistobehopedhewillnotchangehismindagainatthelastmoment.”
ThenextmorningatdaybreakIbadeadieutotheGreenCormorant,andwentdowntotheport,withmykind-heartedhost,whoinsistedonaccompanyingmetotheship,partlyinordertomakehismindeasyrespectingthesincerityofthecaptain’srepentance,andpartlythathemighttakeleaveofhim,andalsoofHurliguerly.Aboatwaswaitingatthequay,andwereachedtheshipinafewminutes.
ThefirstpersonwhomImetonthedeckwasHurliguerly;hegavemealookoftriumph,whichsaidasplainlyasspeech:“Ha!youseenow.Ourhard-to-managecaptainhasgiveninatlast.Andtowhomdoyouowethis,buttothegoodboatswainwhodidhisbestforyou,anddidnotboastovermuchofhisinfluence?”
Wasthisthetruth?Ihadstrongreasonsfordoubtingit.Afterall,whatdiditmatter?
CaptainLenGuycameondeckimmediatelyaftermyarrival;thiswasnotsurprising,exceptforthefactthathedidnotappeartoremarkmypresence.
Atkinsthenapproachedthecaptainandsaidinapleasanttone,—
“Weshallmeetnextyear!”
“IfitpleaseGod,Atkins.”
Theyshookhands.Thentheboatswaintookaheartyleaveoftheinnkeeper,andwasrowedbacktothequay
