in search of the castaways-第10章

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ts　physical　qualities；　but　also　for　the　moral　qualities　of　its　commander；　the　brave　Captain　Burton。　　You　will　be　some　relation　of　the　famous　African　traveler　of　that　name。　　A　daring　man　he　was；　sir。　I　offer　you　my　congratulations。〃　〃Sir；〃　interrupted　John。　　〃I　am　not　only　no　relation　of　Burton　the　great　traveler；　but　I　am　not　even　Captain　Burton。〃　V。　IV　Verne　〃Ah；　is　that　so？　　It　is　Mr。　Burdness；　the　chief　officer；　that　I　am　talking　to　at　present。〃　〃Mr。　Burdness！〃　repeated　John　Mangles；　beginning　to　suspect　how　the　matter　stood。　　Only　he　asked　himself　whether　the　man　was　mad；　or　some　heedless　rattle　pate？　He　was　beginning　to　explain　the　case　in　a　categorical　manner；　when　Lord　Glenarvan　and　his　party　came　up　on　the　poop。　The　stranger　caught　sight　of　them　directly；　and　exclaimed：　〃Ah！　the　passengers；　the　passengers！　　I　hope　you　are　going　to　introduce　me　to　them；　Mr。　Burdness！〃　But　he　could　not　wait　for　any　one's　intervention；　and　going　up　to　them　with　perfect　ease　and　grace；　said；　bowing　to　Miss　Grant；　〃Madame；〃　then　to　Lady　Helena；　with　another　bow；　〃Miss；〃　and　to　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃Sir。〃　Here　John　Mangles　interrupted　him；　and　said；　〃Lord　Glenarvan。〃　〃My　Lord；〃　continued　the　unknown；　〃I　beg　pardon　for　presenting　myself　to　you；　but　at　sea　it　is　well　to　relax　the　strict　rules　of　etiquette　a　little。　　I　hope　we　shall　soon　become　acquainted　with　each　other；　and　that　the　company　of　these　ladies　will　make　our　voyage　in　the　SCOTIA　appear　as　short　as　agreeable。〃　Lady　Helena　and　Miss　Grant　were　too　astonished　to　be　able　to　utter　a　single　word。　　The　presence　of　this　intruder　on　the　poop　of　the　DUNCAN　was　perfectly　inexplicable。　Lord　Glenarvan　was　more　collected；　and　said；　〃Sir；　to　whom　have　I　the　honor　of　speaking？〃　〃To　Jacques　Eliacin　Francois　Marie　Paganel；　Secretary　of　the　Geographical　Society　of　Paris；　Corresponding　Member　of　the　Societies　of　Berlin；　Bombay；　Darmstadt；　Leipsic；　London；　St。　Petersburg；　Vienna；　and　New　York；　Honorary　Member　of　the　Royal　Geographical　and　Ethnographical　Institute　of　the　East　Indies；　who；　after　having　spent　twenty　years　of　his　life　in　geographical　work　in　the　study；　wishes　to　see　active　service；　and　is　on　his　way　to　India　to　gain　for　the　science　what　information　he　can　by　following　up　the　footsteps　of　great　travelers。〃

CHAPTER　VII　JACQUES　PAGANEL　IS　UNDECEIVED

THE　Secretary　of　the　Geographical　Society　was　evidently　an　amiable　personage；　for　all　this　was　said　in　a　most　charming　manner。　Lord　Glenarvan　knew　quite　well　who　he　was　now；　for　he　had　often　heard　Paganel　spoken　of；　and　was　aware　of　his　merits。　His　geographical　works；　his　papers　on　modern　discoveries；　inserted　in　the　reports　of　the　Society；　and　his　world…wide　correspondence；　gave　him　a　most　distinguished　place　among　the　LITERATI　of　France。　Lord　Glenarvan　could　not　but　welcome　such　a　guest；　and　shook　hands　cordially。　〃And　now　that　our　introductions　are　over；〃　he　added；　〃you　will　allow　me；　Monsieur　Paganel；　to　ask　you　a　question？〃　〃Twenty；　my　Lord；　〃　replied　Paganel；　〃it　will　always　be　a　pleasure　to　converse　with　you。〃　〃Was　it　last　evening　that　you　came　on　board　this　vessel？〃　〃Yes；　my　Lord；　about　8　o'clock。　I　jumped　into　a　cab　at　the　Caledonian　Railway；　and　from　the　cab　into　the　SCOTIA；　where　I　had　booked　my　cabin　before　I　left　Paris。　　It　was　a　dark　night；　and　I　saw　no　one　on　board；　so　I　found　cabin　No。　6；　and　went　to　my　berth　immediately；　for　I　had　heard　that　the　best　way　to　prevent　sea…sickness　is　to　go　to　bed　as　soon　as　you　start；　and　not　to　stir　for　the　first　few　days；　and；　moreover；　I　had　been　traveling　for　thirty　hours。　　So　I　tucked　myself　in；　and　slept　conscientiously；　I　assure　you；　for　thirty…six　hours。〃　Paganel's　listeners　understood　the　whole　mystery；　now；　of　his　presence　on　the　DUNCAN。　　The　French　traveler　had　mistaken　his　vessel；　and　gone　on　board　while　the　crew　were　attending　the　service　at　St。　Mungo's。　All　was　explained。　　But　what　would　the　learned　geographer　say；　when　he　heard　the　name　and　destination　of　the　ship；　in　which　he　had　taken　passage？　〃Then　it　is　Calcutta；　M。　Paganel；　that　you　have　chosen　as　your　point　of　departure　on　your　travels？〃　〃Yes；　my　Lord；　to　see　India　has　been　a　cherished　purpose　with　me　all　my　life。　　It　will　be　the　realization　of　my　fondest　dreams；　to　find　myself　in　the　country　of　elephants　and　Thugs。〃　〃Then　it　would　be　by　no　means　a　matter　of　indifference　to　you；　to　visit　another　country　instead。〃　〃No；　my　Lord；　indeed　it　would　be　very　disagreeable；　for　I　have　letters　from　Lord　Somerset；　the　Governor…General；　and　also　a　commission　to　execute　for　the　Geographical　Society。〃　〃Ah；　you　have　a　commission。〃　〃Yes；　I　have　to　attempt　a　curious　and　important　journey；　the　plan　of　which　has　been　drawn　up　by　my　learned　friend　and　colleague；　M。　Vivien　de　Saint　Martin。　　I　am　to　pursue　the　track　of　the　Schlaginweit　Brothers；　and　Colonels　Waugh　and　Webb；　and　Hodgson；　and　Huc　and　Gabet；　the　missionaries；　and　Moorecroft　and　M。　Jules　Remy；　and　so　many　celebrated　travelers。　I　mean　to　try　and　succeed　where　Krick；　the　missionary　so　unfortunately　failed　in　1846；　in　a　word；　I　want　to　follow　the　course　of　the　river　Yarou…Dzangbo…Tchou；　which　waters　Thibet　for　a　distance　of　1500　kilometres；　flowing　along　the　northern　base　of　the　Himalayas；　and　to　find　out　at　last　whether　this　river　does　not　join　itself　to　the　Brahmapoutre　in　the　northeast　of　As…sam。　The　gold　medal；　my　Lord；　is　promised　to　the　traveler　who　will　succeed　in　ascertaining　a　fact　which　is　one　of　the　greatest　DESIDERATA　to　the　geography　of　India。〃　Paganel　was　magnificent。　　He　spoke　with　superb　animation；　soaring　away　on　the　wings　of　imagination。　　It　would　have　been　as　impossible　to　stop　him　as　to　stop　the　Rhine　at　the　Falls　of　Schaffhausen。　〃Monsieur　Jacques　Paganel；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan；　after　a　brief　pause；　〃that　would　certainly　be　a　grand　achievement；　and　you　would　confer　a　great　boon　on　science；　but　I　should　not　like　to　allow　you　to　be　laboring　under　a　mistake　any　longer；　and　I　must　tell　you；　therefore；　that　for　the　present　at　least；　you　must　give　up　the　pleasure　of　a　visit　to　India。〃　〃Give　it　up。　　And　why？〃　〃Because　you　are　turning　your　back　on　the　Indian　peninsula。〃　〃What！　　Captain　Burton。〃　〃I　am　not　Captain　Burton；〃　said　John　Mangles。　〃But　the　SCOTIA。〃　〃This　vessel　is　not　the　SCOTIA。〃　It　would　be　impossible　to　depict　the　astonishment　of　Paganel。　　He　stared　first　at　one　and　then　at　another　in　the　utmost　bewilderment。　Lord　Glenarvan　was　perfectly　grave；　and　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　showed　their　sympathy　for　his　vexation　by　their　looks。　　As　for　John　Mangles；　he　could　not　suppress　a　smile；　but　the　Major　appeared　as　unconcerned　as　usual。　At　last　the　poor　fellow　shrugged　his　shoulders；　pushed　down　his　spectacles　over　his　nose　and　said：　〃You　are　joking。〃　But　just　at　that　very　moment　his　eye　fell　on　the　wheel　of　the　ship；　and　he　saw　the　two　words　on　it：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Duncan。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Glasgow。　〃The　DUNCAN！　the　DUNCAN！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　cry　of　despair；　and　forthwith　rushed　down　the　stairs；　and　away　to　his　cabin。　As　soon　as　the　unfortunate　SAVANT　had　disappeared；　every　one；　except　the　Major；　broke　out　into　such　peals　of　laughter　that　the　sound　reached　the　ears　of　the　sailors　in　the　forecastle。　To　mistake　a　railway　or　to　take　the　train　to　Edinburgh　when　you　want　to