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Updated: May 16, 2025
"Have you read the correspondence of the 'Vega'?" he cried, as he rushed like a hurricane into the dining-room where the doctor and Kajsa were taking their breakfast. "I have just commenced it," replied the doctor, "and was intending to finish reading it after breakfast, while I smoked my pipe." "Then you have not seen!" exclaimed Mr. Bredejord, out of breath.
This is what Dr. Schwaryencrona and Mr. Bredejord asked each other as they were playing at whist with Mr. Malarius, in the little sitting-room of the hotel to which they had gone after arriving at L'Orient. As for Mr. Bredejord, he had no doubts about the matter.
But Erik and Mr. Bredejord were deceived, as events afterward proved. One morning in May the doctor was in his office, when his servant brought him a visitor's card. This card, which was small as is usual in America, had the name of "Mr. Tudor Brown, on board the 'Albatross'" printed upon it. "Mr. Tudor Brown," said the doctor, trying to remember whom he had ever known who bore this name.
Joshua Churchill, had died several years before, in an hospital, without leaving any known heirs, or probably any money. As for the registers of the company, they had probably been sold long before as waste paper. These long researches led to nothing, except to provoke the sarcasms of Mr. Bredejord, which were wounding, to the doctor's self-love, who, however, did not as yet give way to despair.
Bredejord, they were all three engaged by the committee. By the beginning of February, 1879, all was ready. The "Alaska" had therefore five months before the first of June to reach Behring's Straits, which was accounted the most favorable season for the exploration.
They resolved to wait until the fog dispersed before going on land, but as the 15th and 16th of August passed without bringing about this desired result, Erik determined to start accompanied by Mr. Bredejord, Mr. Malarius, and the doctor.
Kajsa still remains single, with the knowledge that she has lost her opportunity. Dr. Schwaryencrona, Mr. Bredejord, and Professor Hochstedt still play innumerable games of whist. One evening the doctor, having played worse than usual, Mr. Bredejord, as he tapped his snuff-box, had the pleasure of recalling to his mind a circumstance which had too long been forgotten.
This sign was the words found upon him when he was discovered floating, tied to the buoy of the "Cynthia," "Semper idem." Finally these arrangements having all been happily concluded, on the 9th of April Mr. Bredejord returned to Lisbon, and the "Alaska" resumed her voyage.
Who could tell whether he was not already in possession of the secret which they were trying to elucidate? If this was the case, was it a happy thing for them that they had him on board, or should they rather be disturbed by his presence? Mr. Bredejord inclined to the latter opinion, and did not consider his appearance among them as at all reassuring.
All they could do was to keep the address of the place where he was born, which might prove useful some time. But the chief of police told Mr. Bredejord, without any dissimulation, that the affair had happened so long ago now nearly twenty years that even if Patrick O'Donoghan ever returned to New York, it was at least doubtful if the authorities would be willing to investigate the matter.
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