| journey back to the metropolis, led by the apparition of the child; my voyage to Holland; my night anchorage in the unknown sea-were these, so to speak, all pieces of the same morbid mental puzzle, all delusions from which I might wake at any moment, and find myself restored to my senses again in the hotel at London? Bewildered by doubts which led me further and further from any definite conclusion, I left my bed and went on deck to change the scene. It was a still and cloudy night. In the black void around me, the island was a blacker shadow yet, and nothing more. The one sound that reached my ears was the heavy breathing of the captain and his crew sleeping on either side of me. I waited, looking round and round the circle of darkness in which I stood. No new vision showed itself. When I returned again to the cabin, and slumbered at last, no dreams came to me. All that was mysterious, all that was marvelous, in the later events of my life seemed to have been left behind me in England. Once in Holland, my course had been influenced by circumstances which were perfectly natural, by commonplace discoveries which might have revealed themselves to any man in my position. What did this mean? Had my gifts as a seer of visions departed from me in the new land and among the strange people? Or had my destiny led me to the place at which the troubles of my mortal pilgrimage were to find their end? Who could say? Early the next morning we set sail once more. Our course was nearly northward. On one side of me was the tawny sea, changing under certain conditions of the weather to a dull pearl-gray. On the other side was the flat, winding coast, composed alternately of yellow sand and bright-green meadow-lands; diversified at intervals by towns and villages, whose red-tiled roofs and quaint church-steeples rose gayly against the clear blue sky. | |
| The captain suggested to me to visit the famous towns of Edam and Hoorn; but I declined to go on shore. | Капитан посоветовал мне посетить знаменитые города Зандам и Хорн, но я отказался съехать на берег. |
| My one desire was to reach the ancient city in which Mrs. Van Brandt had been left deserted. | Единственным моим желанием было добраться до старинного города, в котором была брошена мистрис Ван Брандт. |
| As we altered our course, to make for the promontory on which Enkhuizen is situated, the wind fell, then shifted to another quarter, and blew with a force which greatly increased the difficulties of navigation. | Когда мы изменили направление нашего пути, чтобы повернуть к тому мысу, на котором расположен Энкхейзин, ветер спал - потом повернул в другую сторону и подул с силой, чрезвычайно замедлившей скорость нашего плавания. |
| I still insisted, as long as it was possible to do so, on holding on our course. | Я все настаивал, пока было возможно, чтобы держаться нашего маршрута. |
| After sunset, the strength of the wind abated. | После заката солнца сила ветра уменьшилась. |
