16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
hoarse, almost shouting over the declining but
still powerful wind, they reached the monastery
in reasonable time. Here they supped with a
numerous company in the main refectory and
Stephen retired to his cell as soon as grace
was said. He had not eaten much, he had
drunk less, and now (another usual consequence
of ingesting coca) he lay unsleeping,
but not unhappy with it, his mind running over
the day just past, regretting the untimely
though surely unimportant Dutourd but taking
much pleasure in the rest. At the same time he
followed the chanting of the monks. This particular
Benedictine house was unusually rigorous,
separating mattins from lauds, singing
the first at midnight, a very long service indeed
with the full nocturn, lessons and Te Deum,
and the second so that its middle psalm coincided
with the rising of the sun.
He was in a half sleep, thinking of Condor-