poetically, as your star sonatas, but is more practical.
– Vinkler, – Zander with emotion told, rising and stretching
hand, – friends are learned in misfortune. Your loving kindness…
Vinkler strong shook hands Zander and, smiling, interrupted his outpourings:
– Heart and other internals is perfect at anything here,
mister Zander. Me only calculation, though not personal directs
character. I believe, this explanation is enough that you in any
degrees did not consider themselves obliged?
In a lobby the call was distributed.
Vinkler left, and in a minute on a threshold of an office high appeared
the slender person of years of thirty in a gray road suit.
– It is possible to enter?
– Sir Henry! – Zander exclaimed. – I am glad to see you.
– Hello, dear Zander. Forgive for a late visit. Affairs
detained. And all affairs eventually come down to money. – It
laughed:
– Money! Fuel of all engines of the world, without excluding also warm. Without
money and to stars not to rise, isn’t that so, dear Zander?
Gestures and Blotton’s movements were easy and free. He conveniently took seat in
chair, crossed the legs, took out tortoise from a side pocket
cigarette case with the platinum monogram and a crown, with dexterity of the conjurer
threw it from a hand in a hand, took out a thin Egyptian cigarette and
lit. Spicy tobacco smoke mixed up with aroma of the strong French
spirits. Blotton brought with himself the atmosphere of carelessness of the spoiled child.
– Exult, Zander. I brought to you a good portion of fuel. I and not
knew that the way to stars lies through an altar.
– What altar? Blotton laughed again, but did not answer a question.
– I think, we will have now means to finish the first stratospheric
rocket.
Zander’s face turned pink.
– I am very glad. But we will build it not here. Today at dawn I
I depart to Switzerland.
– Did not get on with “Mohicans”? – Zander nodded. – Switzerland?.
It, perhaps, better. There to you will work more quietly. I will give you the check
on the Lyons credit. Report the address. At five in the morning I depart to London.
And how your work moved?
Zander developed the drawing and began to explain. Blotton absent-mindedly listened
several minutes, pretending what understands, thanked Zander, left
the check, told several latest sports news and left. Zander
called Vinkler and showed him the check.
– Obviously, lord Blotton managed to receive money under the bride, —
told, smiling, Vinkler.
– How it “under the bride”?
– Recently in Taymsa it was printed about lord Blotton’s engagement with
Ellen Hinton. Ms. Ellen is the niece and the only heir
millionaire lady Hinton. Probably, to Blotton allotted the wide credit.
– And so why he said that the way to stars lies through
altar! – Zander remembered.
– Well, so far we can do without repair shop. It
will replace to us sports vanity of Blotton. It is better for those. Leave, mister
Zander. Now at us work will begin to boil. If only…
– What?
– If only you managed to get out safely. At you the plan is ready
departure? Is not present? It is necessary to help you.
And they were inclined over the map of the country which was once their homeland.
Chapter 2
THE READER GETS ACQUAINTED WITH VENERABLE SOCIETY OF THE LADY HINTON, AND ALSO IS CONVINCED THAT THE CLEVER PERSON AND ON COAST OF THE THAMES CAN FIND THE PLACER
– Whether everything is given? A benedictine for the bishop? Sherribrendi for sir Henry?
White wine? Cheese? Cake? And honey? His Eminence loves honey – food
hermits. There is no honey? – Lady Hinton called.
The girl, the red-cheeked Scotswoman in a gray dress, with white entered
starched apron and in a white lacy headdress, from under which
locks of a thick nutbrown hair were beaten out. In Mary’s hand was crystal
vase with honey.
– You forgot to put honey again, Mary? Mary silently put a vase
and silently came to a table. Hinton carried out it by eyes and translated a look
on a pale face of the niece.
– Why you cut hair, Ellen?
The girl touched slender white fingers with long bright pink
nails the ashy hair falling to cheeks equal waves
waves, and silently told:
– Sir Henry…
– Certainly! – with displeasure the old lady said. – Give me
“air” also take the book.
Lady Hinton embroidered five months with silk and gold flowers and
cherubs on “air” for an altar of church in which prior was
the bishop Iov Weller is a confessor the lady, her old friend and the adviser.
– What time is it now?
– Five minutes to five.
– Read, Ellen.
The niece opened at random Dickens’s volume:
– “Then they only feel in a happy state
the friendly association and mutual goodwill which is
source of the most true, pure pleasure…”
– In the Hyde park again, apparently, a meeting, – interrupted reading lady Hinton,
listening. Shook the head and heaved so a deep sigh that it
the breast which is stirred up under a lilac silk dress touched double
chin.
After this lady Hinton fiercely thrust a needle in an eye of the cherub and
deeply thought.
How many years it wages war, hopeless war over time!
At first against each new pound of weight of a fat body, against everyone
new wrinkle on a face – not without reason she endured three husbands and collected in
the strong hands three states, – and then against that new that
interfered