Копи царя Соломона
I Meet Sir Henry Curtis
Thirdreason:BecauseIwantmyboyHarry,whoisoverthereatthehospitalinLondonstudyingtobecomeadoctor,tohavesomethingtoamusehimandkeephimoutofmischiefforaweekorso. Hospitalworkmustsometimespallandgrowratherdull,forevenofcuttingupdeadbodiestheremaycomesatiety, andasthishistorywillnotbedull,whateverelseitmaybe,itwillputalittlelifeintothingsforadayortwowhileHarryisreadingofouradventures. Fourthreasonandlast:BecauseIamgoingtotellthestrangeststorythatIremember. Itmayseemaqueerthingtosay,especiallyconsideringthatthereisnowomaninit—exceptFoulata. Stop,though! thereisGagaoola,ifshewasawoman,andnotafiend. Butshewasahundredatleast,andthereforenotmarriageable,soIdon’tcounther. Atanyrate,Icansafelysaythatthereisnotapetticoatinthewholehistory.
Well,Ihadbettercometotheyoke. Itisastiffplace,andIfeelasthoughIwereboggeduptotheaxle. But,"sutjes,sutjes,"astheBoerssay—IamsureIdon’tknowhowtheyspellit—softlydoesit. Astrongteamwillcomethroughatlast,thatis,iftheyarenottoopoor. Youcanneverdoanythingwithpooroxen. Nowtomakeastart.
I,AllanQuatermain,ofDurban,Natal,Gentleman,makeoathandsay—That’showIheadedmydepositionbeforethemagistrateaboutpoorKhiva’sandVentvögel’ssaddeaths; butsomehowitdoesn’tseemquitetherightwaytobeginabook. And,besides,amIagentleman? Whatisagentleman? Idon’tquiteknow,andyetIhavehadtodowithniggers—no,Iwillscratchoutthatword"niggers,"forIdonotlikeit. I’veknownnativeswhoare,andsoyouwillsay,Harry,myboy,beforeyouhavedonewiththistale, andIhaveknownmeanwhiteswithlotsofmoneyandfreshoutfromhome,too,whoarenot.
