第17部分(第4/7 頁)

　can　that　red　glow　on　the　horizon　be？ Is　it　a　forest　on　fire？〃

〃No；　it　is　the　rising　moon；　Nell。〃

〃To　be　sure；　that's　the　moon；〃　cried　Jack　Ryan；　〃a　fine

big　silver　plate；　which　the　spirits　of　air　hand　round　and　round　the　sky　to　collect　the　stars　in；　like　money。〃

〃Why；　Jack；〃　said　the　engineer；　laughing；　〃I　had　no　idea　you　could　strike　out　such　bold　parisons！〃

〃Well；　but；　Mr。　Starr；　it　is　a　just　parison。 Don't　you　see　the　stars　disappear　as　the　moon　passes　on？　so　I　suppose　they　drop　into　it。〃

〃What　you　mean　to　say；　Jack；　is　that　the　superior　brilliancy　of　the　moon　eclipses　that　of　stars　of　the　sixth　magnitude；　therefore　they　vanish　as　she　approaches。〃

〃How　beautiful　all　this　is！〃　repeated　Nell　again　and　again；　with　her　whole　soul　in　her　eyes。 〃But　I　thought　the　moon　was　round？〃

〃So　she　is；　when　'full；'〃　said　James　Starr；　〃that　means　when　she　is　just　opposite　to　the　sun。 But　to…night　the　moon　is　in　the　last　quarter；　shorn　of　her　just　proportions；　and　friend　Jack's　grand　silver　plate　looks　more　like　a　barber's　basin。〃

〃Oh；　Mr。　Starr；　what　a　base　parison！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　was　just　going　to　begin　a　son　to　the　moon；　but　your　barber's　basin　has　destroyed　all　chance　of　an　inspiration。〃

Gradually　the　moon　ascended　the　heavens。 Before　her　light　the　lingering　clouds　fled　away；　while　stars　still　sparkled　in　the　west；　beyond　the　influence　of　her　radiance。　Nell　gazed　in　silence　on　the　glorious　spectacle。　The　soft　silvery　light　was　pleasant　to　her　eyes；　and　her　little　trembling　hand　expressed　to　Harry；　who　clasped　it；　how　deeply　she　was　affected　by　the　scene。

〃Let　us　embark　now；〃　said　James　Starr。 〃We　have　to　get　to　the　top　of　Arthur's　Seat　before　sunrise。〃

The　boat　was　moored　to　a　post　on　the