Ледяной сфинкс

           Thatlongdarknessofthepolesshedsamoralandphysicalinfluenceonmortalswhichnoonecanelude,agloomyandoverwhelmingimpressionalmostimpossibletoresist.

           OfalltheParacuta’spassengers,theboatswainandEndicottonlypreservedtheirhabitualgood-humour;thosetwowereequallyinsensibletothewearinessandtheperilofourvoyage.IalsoexceptWest,whowaseverreadytofaceeveryeventuality,likeamanwhoisalwaysonthedefensive.AsforthetwobrothersGuy,theirhappinessinbeingrestoredtoeachothermadethemfrequentlyobliviousoftheanxietiesandrisksofthefuture.

           OfHurliguerlyIcannotspeaktoohighly.Heprovedhimselfathoroughlygoodfellow,anditraisedourdroopingspiritstohearhimrepeatinhisjollyvoice,—

           “Weshallgettoportallright,myfriends,besureofthat.And,ifyouonlyreckonthingsup,youwillseethatwehavehadmoregoodluckthanbad.Oh,yes,Iknow,therewasthelossofourschooner!PoorHalbrane,carriedupintotheairlikeaballoon,thenflungintothedeeplikeanavalanche!But,ontheotherhand,therewastheicebergwhichbroughtustothecoast,andtheTsalalboatwhichbroughtusandCaptainWilliamGuyandhisthreecompanionstogether.Anddon’tforgetthecurrentandthebreezethathavepushedusonuptonow,andwillkeeppushinguson,I’msureofthat.Withsomanytrumpsinourhandwecannotpossiblylosethegame.