Reedle Откройте в мобильном приложении
Понятно
Понятно
Для того чтобы воспользоваться закладками, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Отмена
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Отмена
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
Отмена
441
'
He
poked
the
ribs
of
his
partner
.
"
He
!
he
!
he
!
"
laughed
the
Ancient
,
looked
aimlessly
down
the
street
,
then
peered
at
me
doubtfully
with
sad
,
dim
pupils
...
"
He
!
he
!
he
!
"
...
He
leaned
heavier
on
the
umbrella
,
and
dropped
his
gaze
on
the
ground
.
I
need
n't
tell
you
I
had
tried
to
get
away
several
times
,
but
Chester
had
foiled
every
attempt
by
simply
catching
hold
of
my
coat
.
"
One
minute
.
I
've
a
notion
.
"
"
What
's
your
infernal
notion
?
"
I
exploded
at
last
.
"
If
you
think
I
am
going
in
with
you
.
.
.
"
"
No
,
no
,
my
boy
.
Too
late
,
if
you
wanted
ever
so
much
.
We
've
got
a
steamer
.
"
"
You
've
got
the
ghost
of
a
steamer
,
"
I
said
.
"
Good
enough
for
a
start
--
there
's
no
superior
nonsense
about
us
.
Is
there
,
Captain
Robinson
?
"
"
No
!
no
!
no
!
"
croaked
the
old
man
without
lifting
his
eyes
,
and
the
senile
tremble
of
his
head
became
almost
fierce
with
determination
.
"
I
understand
you
know
that
young
chap
,
"
said
Chester
,
with
a
nod
at
the
street
from
which
Jim
had
disappeared
long
ago
.
"
He
's
been
having
grub
with
you
in
the
Malabar
last
night
--
so
I
was
told
.
"
442
'
I
said
that
was
true
,
and
after
remarking
that
he
too
liked
to
live
well
and
in
style
,
only
that
,
for
the
present
,
he
had
to
be
saving
of
every
penny
--
"
none
too
many
for
the
business
!
Is
n't
that
so
,
Captain
Robinson
?
"
--
he
squared
his
shoulders
and
stroked
his
dumpy
moustache
,
while
the
notorious
Robinson
,
coughing
at
his
side
,
clung
more
than
ever
to
the
handle
of
the
umbrella
,
and
seemed
ready
to
subside
passively
into
a
heap
of
old
bones
.
"
You
see
,
the
old
chap
has
all
the
money
,
"
whispered
Chester
confidentially
.
"
I
've
been
cleaned
out
trying
to
engineer
the
dratted
thing
.
But
wait
a
bit
,
wait
a
bit
.
The
good
time
is
coming
.
"
...
He
seemed
suddenly
astonished
at
the
signs
of
impatience
I
gave
.
"
Oh
,
crakee
!
"
he
cried
;
"
I
am
telling
you
of
the
biggest
thing
that
ever
was
,
and
you
...
"
"
I
have
an
appointment
,
"
I
pleaded
mildly
.
"
What
of
that
?
"
he
asked
with
genuine
surprise
;
"
let
it
wait
.
"
"
That
's
exactly
what
I
am
doing
now
,
"
I
remarked
;
"
had
n't
you
better
tell
me
what
it
is
you
want
?
"
"
Buy
twenty
hotels
like
that
,
"
he
growled
to
himself
;
"
and
every
joker
boarding
in
them
too
--
twenty
times
over
.
"
He
lifted
his
head
smartly
"
I
want
that
young
chap
.
"
"
I
do
n't
understand
,
"
I
said
.
"
He
's
no
good
,
is
he
?
"
said
Chester
crisply
.
"
I
know
nothing
about
it
,
"
I
protested
.
"
Why
,
you
told
me
yourself
he
was
taking
it
to
heart
,
"
argued
Chester
.
"
Well
,
in
my
opinion
a
chap
who
...
443
Anyhow
,
he
ca
n't
be
much
good
;
but
then
you
see
I
am
on
the
look-out
for
somebody
,
and
I
've
just
got
a
thing
that
will
suit
him
.
I
'll
give
him
a
job
on
my
island
.
"
He
nodded
significantly
.
"
I
'm
going
to
dump
forty
coolies
there
--
if
I
've
to
steal
'
em
.
Somebody
must
work
the
stuff
.
Oh
!
I
mean
to
act
square
:
wooden
shed
,
corrugated-iron
roof
--
I
know
a
man
in
Hobart
who
will
take
my
bill
at
six
months
for
the
materials
.
I
do
.
Honour
bright
.
Then
there
's
the
water-supply
.
I
'll
have
to
fly
round
and
get
somebody
to
trust
me
for
half-a-dozen
second-hand
iron
tanks
.
Catch
rain-water
,
hey
?
Let
him
take
charge
.
Make
him
supreme
boss
over
the
coolies
.
Good
idea
,
is
n't
it
?
What
do
you
say
?
"
"
There
are
whole
years
when
not
a
drop
of
rain
falls
on
Walpole
,
"
I
said
,
too
amazed
to
laugh
.
He
bit
his
lip
and
seemed
bothered
.
"
Oh
,
well
,
I
will
fix
up
something
for
them
--
or
land
a
supply
.
Hang
it
all
!
That
's
not
the
question
.
"
Отключить рекламу
444
'
I
said
nothing
.
I
had
a
rapid
vision
of
Jim
perched
on
a
shadowless
rock
,
up
to
his
knees
in
guano
,
with
the
screams
of
sea-birds
in
his
ears
,
the
incandescent
ball
of
the
sun
above
his
head
;
the
empty
sky
and
the
empty
ocean
all
a-quiver
,
simmering
together
in
the
heat
as
far
as
the
eye
could
reach
.
"
I
would
n't
advise
my
worst
enemy
...
"
I
began
.
"
What
's
the
matter
with
you
?
"
cried
Chester
;
"
I
mean
to
give
him
a
good
screw
--
that
is
,
as
soon
as
the
thing
is
set
going
,
of
course
.
It
's
as
easy
as
falling
off
a
log
.
Simply
nothing
to
do
;
two
six-shooters
in
his
belt
...
445
Surely
he
would
n't
be
afraid
of
anything
forty
coolies
could
do
--
with
two
six-shooters
and
he
the
only
armed
man
too
!
It
's
much
better
than
it
looks
.
I
want
you
to
help
me
to
talk
him
over
.
"
"
No
!
"
I
shouted
.
Old
Robinson
lifted
his
bleared
eyes
dismally
for
a
moment
,
Chester
looked
at
me
with
infinite
contempt
.
"
So
you
would
n't
advise
him
?
"
he
uttered
slowly
.
"
Certainly
not
,
"
I
answered
,
as
indignant
as
though
he
had
requested
me
to
help
murder
somebody
;
"
moreover
,
I
am
sure
he
would
n't
.
He
is
badly
cut
up
,
but
he
is
n't
mad
as
far
as
I
know
.
"
"
He
is
no
earthly
good
for
anything
,
"
Chester
mused
aloud
.
"
He
would
just
have
done
for
me
.
If
you
only
could
see
a
thing
as
it
is
,
you
would
see
it
's
the
very
thing
for
him
.
And
besides
...
Why
!
it
's
the
most
splendid
,
sure
chance
...
"
He
got
angry
suddenly
.
"
I
must
have
a
man
.
There
!
...
"
He
stamped
his
foot
and
smiled
unpleasantly
.
"
Anyhow
,
I
could
guarantee
the
island
would
n't
sink
under
him
--
and
I
believe
he
is
a
bit
particular
on
that
point
.
"
"
Good
morning
,
"
I
said
curtly
.
He
looked
at
me
as
though
I
had
been
an
incomprehensible
fool
...
"
Must
be
moving
,
Captain
Robinson
,
"
he
yelled
suddenly
into
the
old
man
's
ear
.
"
These
Parsee
Johnnies
are
waiting
for
us
to
clinch
the
bargain
.
"
He
took
his
partner
under
the
arm
with
a
firm
grip
,
swung
him
round
,
and
,
unexpectedly
,
leered
at
me
over
his
shoulder
.
"
I
was
trying
to
do
him
a
kindness
,
"
he
asserted
,
with
an
air
and
tone
that
made
my
blood
boil
.
"
Thank
you
for
nothing
--
in
his
name
,
"
I
rejoined
446
"
Oh
!
you
are
devilish
smart
,
"
he
sneered
;
"
but
you
are
like
the
rest
of
them
.
Too
much
in
the
clouds
.
See
what
you
will
do
with
him
.
"
"
I
do
n't
know
that
I
want
to
do
anything
with
him
.
"
"
Do
n't
you
?
"
he
spluttered
;
his
grey
moustache
bristled
with
anger
,
and
by
his
side
the
notorious
Robinson
,
propped
on
the
umbrella
,
stood
with
his
back
to
me
,
as
patient
and
still
as
a
worn-out
cab-horse
.
"
I
have
n't
found
a
guano
island
,
"
I
said
.
"
It
's
my
belief
you
would
n't
know
one
if
you
were
led
right
up
to
it
by
the
hand
,
"
he
riposted
quickly
;
"
and
in
this
world
you
've
got
to
see
a
thing
first
,
before
you
can
make
use
of
it
.
Got
to
see
it
through
and
through
at
that
,
neither
more
nor
less
.
"
"
And
get
others
to
see
it
too
,
"
I
insinuated
,
with
a
glance
at
the
bowed
back
by
his
side
.
Chester
snorted
at
me
.
"
His
eyes
are
right
enough
--
do
n't
you
worry
.
He
ai
n't
a
puppy
.
"
"
Oh
dear
,
no
!
"
I
said
.
"
Come
along
,
Captain
Robinson
,
"
he
shouted
,
with
a
sort
of
bullying
deference
under
the
rim
of
the
old
man
's
hat
;
the
Holy
Terror
gave
a
submissive
little
jump
.
The
ghost
of
a
steamer
was
waiting
for
them
,
Fortune
on
that
fair
isle
!
They
made
a
curious
pair
of
Argonauts
.
Chester
strode
on
leisurely
,
well
set
up
,
portly
,
and
of
conquering
mien
;
the
other
,
long
,
wasted
,
drooping
,
and
hooked
to
his
arm
,
shuffled
his
withered
shanks
with
desperate
haste
.
'
447
'
Idid
not
start
in
search
of
Jim
at
once
,
only
because
I
had
really
an
appointment
which
I
could
not
neglect
.
Then
,
as
ill-luck
would
have
it
,
in
my
agent
's
office
I
was
fastened
upon
by
a
fellow
fresh
from
Madagascar
with
a
little
scheme
for
a
wonderful
piece
of
business
.
It
had
something
to
do
with
cattle
and
cartridges
and
a
Prince
Ravonalo
something
;
but
the
pivot
of
the
whole
affair
was
the
stupidity
of
some
admiral
--
Admiral
Pierre
,
I
think
.
Everything
turned
on
that
,
and
the
chap
could
n't
find
words
strong
enough
to
express
his
confidence
.
He
had
globular
eyes
starting
out
of
his
head
with
a
fishy
glitter
,
bumps
on
his
forehead
,
and
wore
his
long
hair
brushed
back
without
a
parting
.
He
had
a
favourite
phrase
which
he
kept
on
repeating
triumphantly
,
"
The
minimum
of
risk
with
the
maximum
of
profit
is
my
motto
.
What
?
"
He
made
my
head
ache
,
spoiled
my
tiffin
,
but
got
his
own
out
of
me
all
right
;
and
as
soon
as
I
had
shaken
him
off
,
I
made
straight
for
the
water-side
.
I
caught
sight
of
Jim
leaning
over
the
parapet
of
the
quay
.
Three
native
boatmen
quarrelling
over
five
annas
were
making
an
awful
row
at
his
elbow
.
He
did
n't
hear
me
come
up
,
but
spun
round
as
if
the
slight
contact
of
my
finger
had
released
a
catch
.
"
I
was
looking
,
"
he
stammered
.
I
do
n't
remember
what
I
said
,
not
much
anyhow
,
but
he
made
no
difficulty
in
following
me
to
the
hotel
.
Отключить рекламу
448
'
He
followed
me
as
manageable
as
a
little
child
,
with
an
obedient
air
,
with
no
sort
of
manifestation
,
rather
as
though
he
had
been
waiting
for
me
there
to
come
along
and
carry
him
off
.
449
I
need
not
have
been
so
surprised
as
I
was
at
his
tractability
.
On
all
the
round
earth
,
which
to
some
seems
so
big
and
that
others
affect
to
consider
as
rather
smaller
than
a
mustard-seed
,
he
had
no
place
where
he
could
--
what
shall
I
say
?
--
where
he
could
withdraw
.
That
's
it
!
Withdraw
--
be
alone
with
his
loneliness
.
He
walked
by
my
side
very
calm
,
glancing
here
and
there
,
and
once
turned
his
head
to
look
after
a
Sidiboy
fireman
in
a
cutaway
coat
and
yellowish
trousers
,
whose
black
face
had
silky
gleams
like
a
lump
of
anthracite
coal
.
I
doubt
,
however
,
whether
he
saw
anything
,
or
even
remained
all
the
time
aware
of
my
companionship
,
because
if
I
had
not
edged
him
to
the
left
here
,
or
pulled
him
to
the
right
there
,
I
believe
he
would
have
gone
straight
before
him
in
any
direction
till
stopped
by
a
wall
or
some
other
obstacle
.
I
steered
him
into
my
bedroom
,
and
sat
down
at
once
to
write
letters
.
This
was
the
only
place
in
the
world
(
unless
,
perhaps
,
the
Walpole
Reef
--
but
that
was
not
so
handy
)
where
he
could
have
it
out
with
himself
without
being
bothered
by
the
rest
of
the
universe
.
The
damned
thing
--
as
he
had
expressed
it
--
had
not
made
him
invisible
,
but
I
behaved
exactly
as
though
he
were
.
No
sooner
in
my
chair
I
bent
over
my
writing-desk
like
a
medieval
scribe
,
and
,
but
for
the
movement
of
the
hand
holding
the
pen
,
remained
anxiously
quiet
.
I
ca
n't
say
I
was
frightened
;
but
I
certainly
kept
as
still
as
if
there
had
been
something
dangerous
in
the
room
,
that
at
the
first
hint
of
a
movement
on
my
part
would
be
provoked
to
pounce
upon
me
.
450
There
was
not
much
in
the
room
--
you
know
how
these
bedrooms
are
--
a
sort
of
four-poster
bedstead
under
a
mosquito-net
,
two
or
three
chairs
,
the
table
I
was
writing
at
,
a
bare
floor
.
A
glass
door
opened
on
an
upstairs
verandah
,
and
he
stood
with
his
face
to
it
,
having
a
hard
time
with
all
possible
privacy
.
Dusk
fell
;
I
lit
a
candle
with
the
greatest
economy
of
movement
and
as
much
prudence
as
though
it
were
an
illegal
proceeding
.
There
is
no
doubt
that
he
had
a
very
hard
time
of
it
,
and
so
had
I
,
even
to
the
point
,
I
must
own
,
of
wishing
him
to
the
devil
,
or
on
Walpole
Reef
at
least
.
It
occurred
to
me
once
or
twice
that
,
after
all
,
Chester
was
,
perhaps
,
the
man
to
deal
effectively
with
such
a
disaster
.
That
strange
idealist
had
found
a
practical
use
for
it
at
once
--
unerringly
,
as
it
were
.
It
was
enough
to
make
one
suspect
that
,
maybe
,
he
really
could
see
the
true
aspect
of
things
that
appeared
mysterious
or
utterly
hopeless
to
less
imaginative
persons
.
I
wrote
and
wrote
;
I
liquidated
all
the
arrears
of
my
correspondence
,
and
then
went
on
writing
to
people
who
had
no
reason
whatever
to
expect
from
me
a
gossipy
letter
about
nothing
at
all
.
At
times
I
stole
a
sidelong
glance
.
He
was
rooted
to
the
spot
,
but
convulsive
shudders
ran
down
his
back
;
his
shoulders
would
heave
suddenly
.
He
was
fighting
,
he
was
fighting
--
mostly
for
his
breath
,
as
it
seemed
.
The
massive
shadows
,
cast
all
one
way
from
the
straight
flame
of
the
candle
,
seemed
possessed
of
gloomy
consciousness
;
the
immobility
of
the
furniture
had
to
my
furtive
eye
an
air
of
attention
.