"The Wrecker" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stevenson Robert Louis)

"It's a good job to strike a tabooed pearl-island--say,
about the fourth year," remarked a third, "skim the
whole lagoon on the sly, and up stick and away before
the French get wind of you."

"A pig nokket of cold is good," observed a German.

"There's something in wrecks, too," said Havens. "Look
at that man in Honolulu, and the ship that went ashore
on Waikiki Reef; it was blowing a kona, hard; and she
began to break up as soon as she touched. Lloyd's
agent had her sold inside an hour; and before dark,
when she went to pieces in earnest, the man that bought
her had feathered his nest. Three more hours of
daylight, and he might have retired from business. As
it was, he built a house on Beretania Street, and
called it after the ship."

"Yes, there's something in wrecks sometimes," said the
Glasgow voice; "but not often."

"As a general rule, there's deuced little in anything,"
said Havens.

"Well, I believe that's a Christian fact," cried the
other. "What I want is a secret, get hold of a rich
man by the right place, and make him squeal."

"I suppose you know it's not thought to be the ticket,"
returned Havens.

"I don't care for that; it's good enough for me," cried
the man from Glasgow, stoutly. "The only devil of it
is, a fellow can never find a secret in a place like
the South Seas: only in London and Paris."

"M'Gibbon's been reading some dime novel, I suppose,"
said one club-man.

"He's been reading AURORA FLOYD," remarked another.

"And what if I have?" cried M'Gibbon. "It's all true.
Look at the newspapers! It's just your confounded
ignorance that sets you snickering. I tell you, it's
as much a trade as underwriting, and a dashed sight
more honest."

The sudden acrimony of these remarks called Loudon (who
was a man of peace) from his reserve. "It's rather
singular," said he, "but I seem to have practised about