in search of the castaways-第48章

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n　speak　two　languages　instead　of　one。〃　〃Upon　my　word；　I　never　thought　of　that；〃　said　McNabbs。　　〃My　compliments；　Paganelmy　sincere　compliments。〃　But　Paganel　was　too　busily　engaged　with　his　knife　and　fork　to　lose　a　single　mouthful；　though　he　did　his　best　to　eat　and　talk　at　the　same　time。　He　was　so　much　taken　up　with　his　plate；　however；　that　one　little　fact　quite　escaped　his　observation；　though　Glenarvan　noticed　it　at　once。　This　was；　that　John　Mangles　had　grown　particularly　attentive　to　Mary　Grant。　　A　significant　glance　from　Lady　Helena　told　him；　moreover；　how　affairs　stood；　and　inspired　him　with　affectionate　sympathy　for　the　young　lovers；　but　nothing　of　this　was　apparent　in　his　manner　to　John；　for　his　next　question　was　what　sort　of　a　voyage　he　had　made。　〃We　could　not　have　had　a　better；　but　I　must　apprise　your　Lordship　that　I　did　not　go　through　the　Straits　of　Magellan　again。〃　〃What！　you　doubled　Cape　Horn；　and　I　was　not　there！〃　exclaimed　Paganel。　〃Hang　yourself！〃　said　the　Major。　〃Selfish　fellow！　you　advise　me　to　do　that　because　you　want　my　rope；〃　retorted　the　geographer。　〃Well；　you　see；　my　dear　Paganel；　unless　you　have　the　gift　of　ubiquity　you　can't　be　in　two　places　at　once。　　While　you　were　scouring　the　pampas　you　could　not　be　doubling　Cape　Horn。〃　〃That　doesn't　prevent　my　regretting　it；〃　replied　Paganel。　Here　the　subject　dropped；　and　John　continued　his　account　of　his　voyage。　On　arriving　at　Cape　Pilares　he　had　found　the　winds　dead　against　him；　and　therefore　made　for　the　south；　coasting　along　the　Desolation　Isle；　and　after　going　as　far　as　the　sixty…seventh　degree　southern　latitude；　had　doubled　Cape　Horn；　passed　by　Terra　del　Fuego　and　the　Straits　of　Lemaire；　keeping　close　to　the　Patagonian　shore。　At　Cape　Corrientes　they　encountered　the　terrible　storm　which　had　handled　the　travelers　across　the　pampas　so　roughly；　but　the　yacht　had　borne　it　bravely；　and　for　the　last　three　days　had　stood　right　out　to　sea；　till　the　welcome　signal…gun　of　the　expedition　was　heard　announcing　the　arrival　of　the　anxiously…looked…for　party。　　〃It　was　only　justice；〃　the　captain　added；　〃that　he　should　mention　the　intrepid　bearing　of　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant　throughout　the　whole　hurricane。　They　had　not　shown　the　least　fear；　unless　for　their　friends；　who　might　possibly　be　exposed　to　the　fury　of　the　tempest。〃　After　John　Mangles　had　finished　his　narrative；　Glenarvan　turned　to　Mary　and　said；　〃My　dear　Miss　Mary；　the　captain　has　been　doing　homage　to　your　noble　qualities；　and　I　am　glad　to　think　you　are　not　unhappy　on　board　his　ship。〃　〃How　could　I　be？〃　replied　Mary　naively；　looking　at　Lady　Helena；　and　at　the　young　captain　too；　likely　enough。　〃Oh；　my　sister　is　very　fond　of　you；　Mr。　John；　and　so　am　I；〃　exclaimed　Robert。　〃And　so　am　I　of　you；　my　dear　boy；〃　returned　the　captain；　a　little　abashed　by　Robert's　innocent　avowal；　which　had　kindled　a　faint　blush　on　Mary's　cheek。　　Then　he　managed　to　turn　the　conversation　to　safer　topics　by　saying：　　〃And　now　that　your　Lordship　has　heard　all　about　the　doings　of　the　DUNCAN；　perhaps　you　will　give　us　some　details　of　your　own　journey；　and　tell　us　more　about　the　exploits　of　our　young　hero。〃　Nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　than　such　a　recital　to　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant；　and　accordingly　Lord　Glenarvan　hastened　to　satisfy　their　curiositygoing　over　incident　by　incident；　the　entire　march　from　one　ocean　to　another；　the　pass　of　the　Andes；　the　earthquake；　the　disappearance　of　Robert；　his　capture　by　the　condor；　Thalcave's　providential　shot；　the　episode　of　the　red　wolves；　the　devotion　of　the　young　lad；　Sergeant　Manuel；　the　inundations；　the　caimans；　the　waterspout；　the　night　on　the　Atlantic　shore　all　these　details；　amusing　or　terrible；　excited　by　turns　laughter　and　horror　in　the　listeners。　　Often　and　often　Robert　came　in　for　caresses　from　his　sister　and　Lady　Helena。　　Never　was　a　boy　so　much　embraced；　or　by　such　enthusiastic　friends。　〃And　now；　friends；〃　added　Lord　Glenarvan；　when　he　had　finished　his　narrative；　〃we　must　think　of　the　present。　The　past　is　gone；　but　the　future　is　ours。　　Let　us　come　back　to　Captain　Harry　Grant。〃　As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　they　all　went　into　Lord　Glenarvan's　private　cabin　and　seated　themselves　round　a　table　covered　with　charts　and　plans；　to　talk　over　the　matter　fully。　〃My　dear　Helena；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃I　told　you；　when　we　came　on　board　a　little　while　ago；　that　though　we　had　not　brought　back　Captain　Grant；　our　hope　of　finding　him　was　stronger　than　ever。　The　result　of　our　journey　across　America　is　this：　　We　have　reached　the　conviction；　or　rather　absolute　certainty；　that　the　shipwreck　never　occurred　on　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　nor　Pacific。　　The　natural　inference　is　that；　as　far　as　regards　Patagonia；　our　interpretation　of　the　document　was　erroneous。　　Most　fortunately；　our　friend　Paganel；　in　a　happy　moment　of　inspiration；　discovered　the　mistake。　He　has　proved　clearly　that　we　have　been　on　the　wrong　track；　and　so　explained　the　document　that　all　doubt　whatever　is　removed　from　our　minds。　　However；　as　the　document　is　in　French；　I　will　ask　Paganel　to　go　over　it　for　your　benefit。〃　The　learned　geographer；　thus　called　upon；　executed　his　task　in　the　most　convincing　manner；　descanting　on　the　syllables　GONIE　and　INDI；　and　extracting　AUSTRALIA　out　of　AUSTRAL。　　He　pointed　out　that　Captain　Grant；　on　leaving　the　coast　of　Peru　to　return　to　Europe；　might　have　been　carried　away　with　his　disabled　ship　by　the　southern　currents　of　the　Pacific　right　to　the　shores　of　Australia；　and　his　hypotheses　were　so　ingenious　and　his　deductions　so　subtle　that　even　the　matter…of…fact　John　Mangles；　a　difficult　judge；　and　most　unlikely　to　be　led　away　by　any　flights　of　imagination；　was　completely　satisfied。　At　the　conclusion　of　Paganel's　dissertation；　Glenarvan　announced　that　the　DUNCAN　would　sail　immediately　for　Australia。　But　before　the　decisive　orders　were　given；　McNabbs　asked　for　a　few　minutes'　hearing。　〃Say　away；　McNabbs；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　〃I　have　no　intention　of　weakening　the　arguments　of　my　friend　Paganel；　and　still　less　of　refuting　them。　　I　consider　them　wise　and　weighty；　and　deserving　our　attention；　and　think　them　justly　entitled　to　form　the　basis　of　our　future　researches。　　But　still　I　should　like　them　to　be　submitted　to　a　final　examination；　in　order　to　make　their　worth　incontestable　and　uncontested。〃　〃Go　on；　Major；〃　said　Paganel；　〃I　am　ready　to　answer　all　your　questions。〃　〃They　are　simple　enough；　as　you　will　see。　　Five　months　ago；　when　we　left　the　Clyde；　we　had　studied　these　same　documents；　and　their　interpretation　then　appeared　quite　plain。　No　other　coast　but　the　western　coast　of　Patagonia　could　possibly；　we　thought；　have　been　the　scene　of　the　shipwreck。　We　had　not　even　the　shadow　of　a　doubt　on　the　subject。〃　〃That's　true；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　〃A　little　later；〃　continued　the　Major；　〃when　a　providential　fit　of　absence　of　mind　came　over　Paganel；　and　brought　him　on　board　the　yacht；　the　documents　were　submitted　to　him　and　he　approved　our　plan　of　search　most　unreservedly。〃　〃I　do　not　deny　it；〃　said　Paganel。　〃And　yet　we　were　mistaken；〃　resumed　the　Major。　〃Yes；　we　were　mistaken；〃　returned　Paganel；　〃but　it　is　only　human　to　make　a　mistake；　while　to　persist　in　it；　a　man　must　be　a　fool。〃　〃Stop；　Paganel；　don't　excite　yourself；　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　we　should