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Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

"Chance"

I
had not noticed it before. Altogether the proceedings of a desperate
drunkard--weren't they? He opened the book and held it before his face.
If this was the way he took to drink, then I needn't worry. He was in no
danger from that, and as to any other, I assure you no human being could
have looked safer than he did down there. I felt the greatest contempt
for Franklin just then, while I looked at Captain Anthony sitting there
with a glass of weak brandy-and-water at his elbow and reading in the
cabin of his ship, on a quiet night--the quietest, perhaps the finest, of
a prosperous passage. And if you wonder why I didn't leave off my ugly
spying I will tell you how it was. Captain Anthony was a great reader
just about that time; and I, too, I have a great liking for books. To
this day I can't come near a book but I must know what it is about. It
was a thickish volume he had there, small close print, double columns--I
can see it now. What I wanted to make out was the title at the top of
the page. I have very good eyes but he wasn't holding it conveniently--I
mean for me up there.


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