in search of the castaways-第119章

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　and　waited。　　Glenarvan　and　his　friends　kept　silence。　They　felt　that　this　strange　criminal　had　spoken　the　whole　truth。　He　had　only　missed　his　coveted　prize；　the　DUNCAN；　through　a　cause　independent　of　his　will。　　His　accomplices　had　gone　to　Twofold　Bay；　as　was　proved　by　the　convict　blouse　found　by　Glenarvan。　　Faithful　to　the　orders　of　their　chief；　they　had　kept　watch　on　the　yacht；　and　at　length；　weary　of　waiting；　had　returned　to　the　old　haunt　of　robbers　and　incendiaries　in　the　country　parts　of　New　South　Wales。　The　Major　put　the　first　question；　his　object　being　to　verify　the　dates　of　the　BRITANNIA。　〃You　are　sure　then；〃　he　said；　〃that　it　was　on　the　8th　of　April　you　were　left　on　the　west　coast　of　Australia？〃　〃On　that　very　day；〃　replied　Ayrton。　〃And　do　you　know　what　projects　Harry　Grant　had　in　view　at　the　time？〃　〃In　an　indefinite　way　I　do。〃　〃Say　all　you　can；　Ayrton；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃the　least　indication　may　set　us　in　the　right　course。〃　〃I　only　know　this　much；　my　Lord；〃　replied　the　quartermaster；　〃that　Captain　Grant　intended　to　visit　New　Zealand。　　Now；　as　this　part　of　the　programme　was　not　carried　out　while　I　was　on　board；　it　is　not　impossible　that　on　leaving　Callao　the　BRITANNIA　went　to　reconnoiter　New　Zealand。　　This　would　agree　with　the　date　assigned　by　the　document　to　the　shipwreckthe　27th　of　June；　1862。〃　〃Clearly；〃　said　Paganel。　〃But；〃　objected　Glenarvan；　〃there　is　nothing　in　the　fragmentary　words　in　the　document　that　could　apply　to　New　Zealand。〃　〃That　I　cannot　answer；〃　said　the　quartermaster。　〃Well；　Ayrton；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃you　have　kept　your　word；　and　I　will　keep　mine。　　We　have　to　decide　now　on　what　island　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　you　are　to　be　left？〃　〃It　matters　little；　my　Lord；〃　replied　Ayrton。　〃Return　to　your　cabin；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃and　wait　our　decision。〃　The　quartermaster　withdrew；　guarded　by　the　two　sailors。　〃That　villain　might　have　been　a　man；〃　said　the　Major。　〃Yes；〃　returned　Glenarvan；　〃he　is　a　strong；　clear…headed　fellow。　Why　was　it　that　he　must　needs　turn　his　powers　to　such　evil　account？〃　〃But　Harry　Grant？〃　〃I　must　fear　he　is　irrevocably　lost。　　Poor　children！　Who　can　tell　them　where　their　father　is？〃　〃I　can！〃　replied　Paganel。　　〃Yes；　I　can！〃　　One　could　not　help　remarking　that　the　geographer；　so　loquacious　and　impatient　usually；　had　scarcely　spoken　during　Ayrton's　examination。　　He　listened　without　opening　his　mouth。　　But　this　speech　of　his　now　was　worth　many　others；　and　it　made　Glenarvan　spring　to　his　feet；　crying　out：　〃You；　Paganel！　you　know　where　Captain　Grant　is？〃　〃Yes；　as　far　as　can　be　known。〃　〃How　do　you　know？〃　〃From　that　infernal　document。〃　〃Ah！〃　said　the　Major；　in　a　tone　of　the　most　profound　incredulity。　〃Hear　me　first；　and　shrug　your　shoulders　afterward；〃　said　Paganel。　　〃I　did　not　speak　sooner；　because　you　would　not　have　believed　me。　　Besides；　it　was　useless；　and　I　only　speak　to…day　because　Ayrton's　opinion　just　supports　my　own。〃　V。　IV　Verne　〃Then　it　is　New　Zealand？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃Listen　and　judge；〃　replied　Paganel。　　〃It　is　not　without　reason；　or；　rather；　I　had　a　reason　for　making　the　blunder　which　has　saved　our　lives。　　When　I　was　in　the　very　act　of　writing　the　letter　to　Glenarvan's　dictation；　the　word　ZEALAND　was　swimming　in　my　brain。　　This　is　why。　　You　remember　we　were　in　the　wagon。　McNabbs　had　just　apprised　Lady　Helena　about　the　convicts；　he　had　given　her　the　number　of　the　_Australian　and　New　Zealand　Gazette_　which　contained　the　account　of　the　catastrophe　at　Camden　Bridge。　　Now；　just　as　I　was　writing；　the　newspaper　was　lying　on　the　ground；　folded　in　such　a　manner　that　only　two　syllables　of　the　title　were　visible；　these　two　syllables　were　ALAND。　　What　a　sudden　light　flashed　on　my　mind。　ALAND　was　one　of　the　words　in　the　English　document；　one　that　hitherto　we　had　translated　_a　terre_；　and　which　must　have　been　the　termination　of　the　proper　noun；　ZEALAND。〃　〃Indeed！〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃Yes；〃　continued　Paganel；　with　profound　conviction；　〃this　meaning　had　escaped　me；　and　do　you　know　why？　　Because　my　wits　were　exercised　naturally　on　the　French　document；　as　it　was　most　complete；　and　in　that　this　important　word　was　wanting。〃　〃Oh；　oh！〃　said　the　Major；　〃your　imagination　goes　too　far；　Paganel；　and　you　forget　your　former　deductions。〃　〃Go　on；　Major；　I　am　ready　to　answer　you。〃　〃Well；　then；　what　do　you　make　of　your　word　AUSTRA？〃　〃What　it　was　at　first。　　It　merely　means　southern　countries。〃　〃Well；　and　this　syllable；　INDI；　which　was　first　the　root　of　the　INDIANS；　and　second　the　root　of　the　word　_indigenes？_〃　〃Well；　the　third　and　last　time；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃it　will　be　the　first　syllable　of　the　word　INDIGENCE。〃　〃And　CONTIN？〃　cried　McNabbs。　　〃Does　that　still　mean　CONTINENT？〃　〃No；　since　New　Zealand　is　only　an　island。〃　〃What　then？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃My　dear　lord；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃I　am　going　to　translate　the　document　according　to　my　third　interpretation；　and　you　shall　judge。　I　only　make　two　observations　beforehand。　　First；　forget　as　much　as　possible　preceding　interpretations；　and　divest　your　mind　of　all　preconceived　notions。　　Second；　certain　parts　may　appear　to　you　strained；　and　it　is　possible　that　I　translate　them　badly；　but　they　are　of　no　importance；　among　others；　the　word　AGONIE；　which　chokes　me；　but　I　cannot　find　any　other　explanation。　Besides；　my　interpretation　was　founded　on　the　French　document；　and　don't　forget　it　was　written　by　an　Englishman；　who　could　not　be　familiar　with　the　idioms　of　the　French　language。　Now　then；　having　said　this　much；　I　will　begin。〃　And　slowly　articulating　each　syllable；　he　repeated　the　following　sentences：　〃LE　27th　JUIN；　1862；　_le　trois…mats　Britannia_；　de　_Glasgow；　a　sombre_　apres　une　longue　AGONIE　dans　les　mers　AUSTRALES　sur　les　cotes　de　la　Nouvelle　ZELANDEin　English　_Zealand。　　Deux　matelots_　et　le　_Capitaine　Grant_　ont　pu　y　ABORDER。　　La　CONTINUellement　en　PRoie　a　une　CRUELle　INDIgence；　ils　ont　_jete　ce　document_　par_de　lon_gitude　ET　37　degrees　11'　de　LATItude。　　_Venex　a　leur_　secours；　ou　ils　sont　PERDUS！〃　　（On　the　27th　of　June；　1865；　the　three…mast　vessel　BRITANNIA；　of　Glasgow；　has　foundered　after　a　long　AGOnie　in　the　Southern　Seas；　on　the　coast　of　New　Zealand。　　Two　sailors　and　Captain　Grant　have　succeeded　in　landing。　　Continually　a　prey　to　cruel　indigence；　they　have　thrown　this　document　into　the　sea　in　longitude　and　37　degrees　11'　latitude。　　Come　to　their　help；　or　they　are　lost。）　Paganel　stopped。　　His　interpretation　was　admissible。　But　precisely　because　it　appeared　as　likely　as　the　preceding；　it　might　be　as　false。　　Glenarvan　and　the　Major　did　not　then　try　and　discuss　it。　　However；　since　no　traces　of　the　BRITANNIA　had　yet　been　met　with；　either　on　the　Patagonian　or　Australian　coasts；　at　the　points　where　these　countries　are　crossed　by　the　37th　parallel；　the　chances　were　in　favor　of　New　Zealand。　〃Now；　Paganel；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃will　you　tell　me　why　you　have　kept　this　interpretation　secret　for　nearly　two　months？〃　〃Because　I　did　not　wish　to　buoy　you　up　again　with　vain　hopes。　Besides；　we　were　going　to　Auckland；　to　the　very　spot　indicated　by　the　latitude　of　the　document。〃　〃But　since　then；　when　we　were　dragged　out　of　the　route；　why　did　you　not　speak？〃　〃Because；　however　just　the　interpretation；　it　could　do　nothing　for　the　deliverance　of　the　captain。〃　〃Why　not；　Paganel？〃　〃Because；　admitting　that　the　captain　was