"Jules Verne. Off on a Comet. WORKS" - читать интересную книгу автора

When the schooner had approached the island, the Englishmen were able to make
out the name "_Dobryna_" painted on the aft-board. A sinuous irregularity
of the coast had formed a kind of cove, which, though hardly spacious enough
for a few fishing-smacks, would afford the yacht a temporary anchorage,
so long as the wind did not blow violently from either west or south.
Into this cove the _Dobryna_ was duly signaled, and as soon as she
was safely moored, she lowered her four-oar, and Count Timascheff and
Captain Servadac made their way at once to land.

Colonel Heneage Finch Murphy and Major Sir John Temple Oliphant stood,
grave and prim, formally awaiting the arrival of their visitors.
Captain Servadac, with the uncontrolled vivacity natural to a Frenchman,
was the first to speak.

"A joyful sight, gentlemen!" he exclaimed. "It will give us unbounded
pleasure to shake hands again with some of our fellow-creatures. You,
no doubt, have escaped the same disaster as ourselves."

But the English officers, neither by word nor gesture, made the slightest
acknowledgment of this familiar greeting.

"What news can you give us of France, England, or Russia?" continued Servadac,
perfectly unconscious of the stolid rigidity with which his advances
were received. "We are anxious to hear anything you can tell us.
Have you had communications with Europe? Have you--"

"To whom have we the honor of speaking?" at last interposed
Colonel Murphy, in the coldest and most measured tone,
and drawing himself up to his full height.

"Ah! how stupid! I forgot," said Servadac, with the slightest possible
shrug of the shoulders; "we have not been introduced."

Then, with a wave of his hand towards his companion, who meanwhile had
exhibited a reserve hardly less than that of the British officers, he said:

"Allow me to introduce you to Count Wassili Timascheff."

" Major Sir John Temple Oliphant," replied the colonel.

The Russian and the Englishman mutually exchanged the stiffest of bows.

"I have the pleasure of introducing Captain Servadac,"
said the count in his turn.

"And this is Colonel Heneage Finch Murphy," was the major's grave rejoinder.

More bows were interchanged and the ceremony brought to its due conclusion.
It need hardly be said that the conversation had been carried on in French,