"Conrad, Josph - Youth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Conrad Joseph)

YOUTH

By JOSEPH CONRAD




". . . But the Dwarf answered: No;
something human is dearer to me than the
wealth of all the world." GRIMM'S TALES.




TO MY WIFE





CONTENTS


YOUTH: A NARRATIVE





YOUTH


THIS could have occurred nowhere but in England,
where men and sea interpenetrate, so to speak--the sea
entering into the life of most men, and the men know-
ing something or everything about the sea, in the way
of amusement, of travel, or of bread-winning.

We were sitting round a mahogany table that reflected
the bottle, the claret-glasses, and our faces as we leaned
on our elbows. There was a director of companies, an
accountant, a lawyer, Marlow, and myself. The direc-
tor had been a CONWAY boy, the accountant had served
four years at sea, the lawyer--a fine crusted Tory, High
Churchman, the best of old fellows, the soul of honor--
had been chief officer in the P. & O. service in the good
old days when mail-boats were square-rigged at least on
two masts, and used to come down the China Sea before
a fair monsoon with stun'-sails set alow and aloft. We