The Greatest Sea Adventure Novels: 30+ Maritime Novels, Pirate Tales & Seafaring Stories. R. M. Ballantyne

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ remembrance ever after this night. How much does it require to establish a lifeboat?”

      “Between five and six hundred pounds,” replied Mr Summers. “After which about twenty pounds annually will suffice to maintain it in working order.”

      “So much!” exclaimed Mrs Foster. “I fear that you will find it difficult to raise so large a sum.”

      “I trust not, but if we raise a pretty large proportion of it, the Lifeboat Institution will make up the balance. Perhaps”—here the old gentleman paused and looked dubiously at Mrs Foster—“perhaps you would like to know the precise nature of the objects for which the Lifeboat Institution has been founded. Will you do me the favour to listen for five minutes longer? The operations of the Institution are of deep importance to the national welfare.”

      Mrs Foster at once expressed her willingness to listen, and the old gentleman, re-opening his bundle of papers, selected one from which he read sundry interesting details regarding the National Lifeboat Institution.

      It need scarcely be said, that with such a sympathetic mind to address as that of Mrs Foster, Mr Summers prolonged his visit for another hour, and it is perhaps equally unnecessary to say that the worthy lady found a suitable object on which to bestow the sovereign which had perplexed her so much at an earlier part of the evening. She not only gave the money with the air of a “cheerful giver,” but she begged Mr Summers to send her as many papers on the subject of lifeboats and wrecks as he happened to be possessed of, and promised to become an active agent in pleading with her friends in behalf of the object he had in view.

      The wind was rising while the party in Sandhill Cottage were thus engaged. It came in ominous and heavy gusts, rattling the window-frames and moaning in the chimneys to such an extent that Mrs Laker, who was of a timid and superstitious nature, was fain to sit outside the parlour door in order to be near the other inmates of the cottage.

      “About a thousand lives lost in each year on the shores of this kingdom!” thought Mrs Foster, as she lay in bed that night listening to the rising storm with feelings of awe and solemnity which she had never before experienced.

      If Mrs Foster had been acquainted with the subject in detail, she might have had further food for solemn reflection in the fact that the greater part of those lives were lost unnecessarily; that their loss was owing not nearly so much to the direct providence of God as to the incompetence, the ignorance, the false economy, and the culpable carelessness of man.

      Mrs Foster’s head lay on a soft pillow while the tempest raged around her humble dwelling. She little thought that one around whom her heart-strings were entwined was out on the wild sea that night, exposed to its utmost fury and in urgent need of the aid of that species of boat which had filled her thoughts that evening, and still continued to influence her dreams.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgAAAQABAAD/2wBDAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQNDAsLDBkSEw8UHRofHh0a HBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0Hyc5PTgyPC4zNDL/2wBDAQkJCQwLDBgNDRgyIRwhMjIyMjIy MjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjL/wAARCBLAC7gDASIA AhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQA AAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0KxwRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3 ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlqc3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWm p6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT1NXW19jZ2uHi4+Tl5ufo6erx8vP09fb3+Pn6/8QAHwEA AwEBAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtREAAgECBAQDBAcFBAQAAQJ3AAECAxEEBSEx BhJBUQdhcRMiMoEIFEKRobHBCSMzUvAVYnLRChYkNOEl8RcYGRomJygpKjU2Nzg5OkNERUZHSElK U1RVVldYWVpjZGVmZ2hpanN0dXZ3eHl6goOEhYaHiImKkpOUlZaXmJmaoqOkpaanqKmqsrO0tba3 uLm6wsPExcbHyMnK0tPU1dbX2Nna4uPk5ebn6Onq8vP09fb3+Pn6/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDx6iii gBaKKKACiiigApKWkNABRSZozQAtFFFABQaKQ0AFLSUUAFFFFABSUtJQAUUUUAFFFFAC0UUUAFFF FABRRRQAUUUUAFFBOKTJoAKKSloAKKKKACiiigApRSUtABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAAp1I KWgAooooAKDRRQAlKKKKAClpKWgAooooAKKKKAClpBS0AFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFLQAlFLRQAUUU UAFFFFABRRRQAUZoooASiiigAooooASlpKKAFopM0ZoAWm0uaSgAooooAKKKSgBaKTNGaAFppozR QAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUhoASiiigAooooAKWkozQAtFJmigAooooAKKKKAClpKKAFopM0ZoADSU ppKACiiigAoFFFAC0UmaM0ALSUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUALRQBS4oASilxQRQ AgpaQUtABRRRQAtFFFABS02lzQAtLSUtABRRRQAUopKUUALRRRQAU2lNJQAUUUUAFKKSgdaAHUUU UAFNPWnUw9aACiiigApBS0lAEnUUUi9KWgApGPFLTW7UANooooAKKKKAHKe1OqMU7caAHUU3caTJ oACcmm0tIaAClpKWgAHBp9MpQSKAHUU3caNxoAVjxTaKKACiiigApRSUUAOptGaTNAC0hooNACUU UUAFKKSigB1GKTNGaAFpDRmkoAKKKKACiiigBwopBS0AKKWm0ZoAKKKKACiiigBRTqYKdQAtFJmi gANJRRQAUUUUAFP7UynDgUALRSZozQAE4FNpTSUAFFFFABThTaWgB1FM3GjcaAH0lJupaACiiigA ooooAWikzRmgBaQ0ZpKACiiigAooooAWikozQAtBpKKAGnrRQaKACiiigBR1pabS5oAWikzSZoAU 0lFFABRRRQAhpwppozigBTRSZNGaAFPFNozRQAUUUUAFKDSUUAOopM0ZoAWgnmkzRQAtFFFABRRR QA6iiigAoopDQAUCigUAKaSlNJQAoNLTRS0ALRSZooAaetFFFABQaKDQAg60+mU4UALSUZooAax7 U2lbrSUAJRR3ooAKcDxTaBQA+ikzSZoAWm0ppKACiiigAooooAWiiigAooooAKKKKAClpKWgAooo oAWikpaAClpKWgAooooAKSloxQAlFLijFAAKWiigAooooAKaadSGgBKKWigBKKWkoAKKKKACkNLQ elADaKKKACnCm06gAooooAdRRRQAtFJS0AFFFFABTaU0lABRRRQAUtJRQAtJRRQAUUUUAFFFFABS UtFACUUUUAFFFLQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUhoAQ0UUUAFFFFAC0UCigAooooABS0UUAFFFFABRRR QAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAZxTqaaUGgBaKKKACiikoAWiiigApRSUUALRRRQAUUUCgBaKKKACiiigAoo ooAKKKKAFooooAKKKKACiijNABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFACGiiigAopKKACg0UUAJRRRQAUUUUAFFFFAB SUtNoAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAooooAaaKWkoAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAoooo AKKKKACkpaSgAooooAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAoopQKAFFLQKKACi iigBKKDRQAUUUUALRRRQAlLRRQAopabTqACiiigApRRRQAtFFFABTadQaAG0UuKTFABSijFLQAUU UUAFNYd6dRQAyijFFABQOTRTgMUALRRRQAUEZFFFAEdFOI5ptABRRQBmgBccUUtJQAUUUUAJRS0l ABiiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAoooxQAUlLSUAFFFFABRRRQAlFLSUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUtACUUuKTF ABS0UUALRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRigBRS0UUAFFFFACGilpKACiiigAp1IBS0AFFFFABTadSUAJRR RQAUtFFADaKKKAAU+mDrTqAFooooAKKKQ0AFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAIaSnEUlAB RRRQAUlKaSgAooooAKKKKACiiigANNpxptABRS0UAFJS0UAJRS0YoASloooAKKKKAClpBS0AFFFF ABQKKUUALRRRQAUUUUAJQKU0CgApKWigAooooAKKKKAENJTqbQAUGiigAFLRRQAUUUUANPIptPpp GDQA2ilooASloooAKKKKACkpaKAEooooAKKKWgAooooAKKKKACiiigApaSloAKKKKACgUUCgBaWk paACiiigAoFFFAC0UUUAFFJS0AFFFFABSUUUAFFFFAAaSiigAooooAKQ0tNoAKKKKAClFJQKAHUU UUAOooooAKKKKACiiigBKKU0lABRRRQAUCiloAKKKKAEopaSgAooooAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKA CiiigAooooAKQ0tFADaKKKACiiigApaBRQAUUUUAKKKSloAKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigAoo ooAKKKKADNLSUtAC0UlLQAUUUUALRQKKACiiigBaKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKAFooooAKKKKACkoNF ABRRRQAtFAooAKKKKAEooooAKKKKAEopaQ0AJRRRQAUUUooAKKKKACmU+mkUAJRRRQAUUUUALRRR QAUlLRQAlFFFABRRRQAlFLSUAFFFFAAaSlNJQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABRRS0AFFFFAC HpSU6kxQAlFFFABRS0UAFFFFABSUtFACUUUUAFFFLQACiiigApRSUUAOooooAKKKKAENFFFABS0l LQAUUUUAFFFFABTh0popwoAWiiigAoooFAC0UUUAFFFKKADFFFFABSUtJQAUUUUAFFFFABRRRQAU UUUAFFFFABRRRQAYowPSiigAwPQUhFLRQA2kpTRQAlFFFABTsCkAp1ACYHpRgGlooAjIwaKcwptA BRRRQAUoFJT6ACjFFFADSKaaeaaaAEooooAKKKWgAooooAKbTqSgBKKWkoAKWiigBaKKKACiiigA ooooAKKKKAAU6kFLQAYooooAKKKKACiiigApcUCloAMD0owKKKAEopTSUAFFFFABQBRS0AFHFFFA CEUlOpvQ0ANPWilNJQAo60tIOtOFAC0UUUAFNNOpDQAlFFFABRRRQAoFLRRQAUhFLQaAG0UUUAFF FFABRRRQAUUUUAIaSlNJQAUUUUAFLSUtABRRRQAhpKcabQAUUUUAFFFLQAUUUUAFJS0hoAKKKKAA UtFFAC0UUUAFLSUtABRRRQAUUUUAFLRRQAUUUUAJRRRQAUUUUAFLigUUAGB6UmKWg0ANopTSUAFF FFACUUUUAGB6UYFFFACEU2nGmmgAooooAKKKWgAxSUtBoASiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigApaSlFABR RRQAUCilFABRRRQAUUUUALRRRQAtFJmigApKWkoAKKKKAFopKWgAooooASiikoAKKKKAA0lLSUAF FFFABRRQKAFooooAfRRRQAUUUUAFFFFABSUtJQAUUUUAKKKKKACiiigAoNFIaACikzSUAOopM0tA BRRRQAUUUUAFFJRQAtFJS0AFFFFABRRRQAhpKUmkoAKKKKAFooooAKKKKACiikoAdRTaM0AOoooo AKKKKACiiigAooooAKKKKACiiigApRSUUALRSZozQA6ikpaAFFFAooAKKKKACjNFFAC0UlLQAUUU UAFFFFABS0lJQA6im0UALRRRQAUUUUAFLmkpKAHZpKSigBaKKKACiiigApDS0hoASiikoAWlpAaW gAooooAKCMiig9KAGUUtFACUtFFABRRRQAUUUUAJRRRQAUUUUAFJS0lABRRRQAUlLTc0ALRSZpaA CiiigAooooAKKKKACikzRmgB1FIKW СКАЧАТЬ