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f000001,16.520,17.360,"XXXIX." |
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f000002,17.360,26.320,"JANUARY th and th.The whole scene made a deep impression on our minds, and Owen's speech coming as a sort of climax, brought before us our misery with a force that was wellnigh overwhelming." |
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f000003,26.320,34.080,"As soon as I recovered my composure, I did not forget to thank Andre Letourneur for the act of intervention that had saved my life." |
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f000004,34.080,38.760,"Do you thank me for that; Mr. Kazallon? he said; it has only served to prolong your misery." |
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f000005,38.760,43.440,"Never mind, M. Letourneur, said Miss Herbey; you did your duty." |
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f000006,43.440,56.200,"Enfeebled and emaciated as the young girl is, her sense of duty never deserts her, and although her torn and bedraggled garments float dejectedly about her body, she never utters a word of complaint, and never loses courage." |
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f000007,56.200,60.800,"Mr. Kazallon, she said to me, do you think we are fated to die of hunger?" |
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f000008,60.800,66.000,"Yes; Miss Herbey, I do, I replied in a hard, cold tone." |
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f000009,66.000,69.040,"How long do you suppose we have to live? she asked again." |
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f000010,69.040,73.720,"I cannot say; perhaps we shall linger on longer than we imagine." |
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f000011,73.720,78.040,"The strongest constitutions suffer the most, do they not? she said." |
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f000012,78.040,83.320,"Yes; but they have one consolation; they die the soonest; I replied coldly." |
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f000013,83.320,92.120,"Had every spark of humanity died out of my breast that I thus brought the girl face to face with the terrible truth without a word of hope or comfort?" |
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f000014,92.120,100.040,"The eyes of Andre and his father, dilated with hunger, were fixed upon me, and I saw reproach and astonishment written in their faces." |
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f000015,100.040,104.400,"Afterwards, when we were quite alone, Miss Herbey asked me if I would grant her a favour." |
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f000016,104.400,111.160,"Certainly, Miss Herbey; anything you like to ask, I replied; and this time my manner was kinder and more genial." |
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f000017,111.160,115.800,"Mr. Kazallon, she said, I am weaker than you, and shall probably die first." |
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f000018,115.800,119.760,"Promise me that, if I do, you will throw my body into the sea." |
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f000019,119.760,124.800,"Oh, Miss Herbey, I began, it was very wrong of me to speak to you as I did!" |
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f000020,124.800,128.440,"No, no, she replied, half smiling; you were quite right." |
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f000021,128.440,137.200,"But it is a weakness of mine; I don't mind what they do with me as long as I am alive, but when I am dead she stopped and shuddered." |
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f000022,137.200,140.160,"Oh, promise me that you will throw me into, the sea!" |
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f000023,140.160,146.320,"I gave her the melancholy promise, which she acknowledged by pressing my hand feebly with her emaciated fingers." |
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f000024,146.320,148.000,"Another night passed away." |
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f000025,148.000,156.840,"At times my sufferings were so intense that cries of agony involuntarily escaped my lips; then I became calmer, and sank into a kind of lethargy." |
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f000026,156.840,161.080,"When I awoke, I was surprised to find my; companions still alive." |
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f000027,161.080,169.160,"The one of our party who seems to bear his privations the best is Hobart the steward, a man with whom hitherto I have had very little to do." |
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f000028,169.160,185.440,"He is small, with a fawning expression remarkable for its indecision, and has a smile which is incessantly playing round his lips; he goes about with his eyes halfclosed, as though he wished to conceal his thoughts, and there is something altogether false and hypocritical about his whole demeanour." |
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f000029,185.440,199.840,"I cannot say that he bears his privations without a murmur, for he sighs and moans incessantly; but, with it all, I cannot but think that there is a want of genuineness in his manner, and that the privation has not really told upon him as much as it has upon the rest of us." |
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f000030,199.840,202.720,"I have my suspicions about the man, and intend to watch him carefully." |
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f000031,202.720,213.000,"Today, the th, M. Letourneur drew me aside to the stern of the raft, saying that he had a secret to communicate, but that he wished neither to be seen nor heard speaking to me." |
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f000032,213.000,219.960,"I withdrew with him to the larboard corner of the raft; and, as it was growing dusk, nobody observed what we were doing." |
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f000033,219.960,226.560,"Mr. Kazallon, M. Letourneur began in a low voice, Andre is dying of hunger: he is growing weaker and weaker, and oh!" |
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f000034,226.560,229.960,"I cannot, will not see him die!" |
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f000035,229.960,233.880,"He spoke passionately, almost fiercely, and I fully understood his feelings." |
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f000036,233.880,237.120,"Taking his hand, I tried to reassure him." |
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f000037,237.120,248.360,"We will not despair yet, I said, perhaps some passing ship Ship! he cried impatiently, don't try to console me with empty commonplaces; you know as well as I do that there is no chance of falling in with a passing ship." |
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f000038,248.360,254.280,"Then, breaking off suddenly, he asked,How long is it since my son and all of you have had anything to eat?" |
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f000039,254.280,258.880,"Astonished at his question, I replied that it was now four days since the biscuit had failed." |
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f000040,258.880,263.640,"Four days, he repeated; well, then, it is eight since I have tasted anything." |
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f000041,263.640,265.880,"I have been saving my share for my son." |
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f000042,265.880,273.680,"Tears rushed to my eyes; for a few moments I was unable to speak, and could only once more grasp his hand in silence." |
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f000043,273.680,274.760,"What do you want me to do?" |
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f000044,274.760,276.040,"I asked at length." |
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f000045,276.040,283.200,"Hush! not so loud; some one will hear us, he said, Towering his voice, I want you to offer it to Andre as though it came from yourself." |
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f000046,283.200,287.400,"He would not accept it from me; he would think I had been depriving myself for him." |
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f000047,287.400,296.840,"Let me implore you to do me this service and for your trouble, and here he gently stroked my hand, for your trouble you shall have a morsel for yourself." |
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f000048,296.840,305.320,"I trembled like a child as I listened to the poor father's words, and my heart was ready to burst when I felt a tiny piece of biscuit slipped into my hand." |
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f000049,305.320,313.360,"Give it him, M. Letourneur went on under his breath, give it him; but do not let any one see you; the monsters would murder you if they knew it." |
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f000050,313.360,317.360,"This is only for today; I will give you some more tomorrow." |
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f000051,317.360,331.280,"The poor fellow did not trust me, and well he might not, for I had the greatest difficulty to withstand the temptation to carry the biscuit to my mouth, But I resisted the impulse, and those alone who have suffered like me can know what the effort was." |
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f000052,331.280,342.120,"Night came on with the rapidity peculiar to these low latitudes, and I glided gently up to Andre and slipped the piece of biscuit into his hand as a present from myself." |
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f000053,342.120,344.280,"The young man clutched at it eagerly." |
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f000054,344.280,346.600,"But my father? he said inquiringly." |
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f000055,346.600,354.320,"I assured him that his father and I had each had our share, and that he must eat this now, and, perhaps, I should be able to bring him some more another time." |
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f000056,354.320,357.760,"Andre asked no more questions, and eagerly devoured the morsel of food." |
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f000057,357.760,364.120,"So this evening at least, notwithstanding M. Letourneur's offer, I have tasted nothing." |
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f000058,364.120,365.240,"end of chapter." |