영어로 읽는 고전 _ 메러디스 니콜슨의 실종자의 항구
"The Port of Missing Men"은 20세기 초에 쓰인 것으로 추정되는 Meredith Nicholson의 미스터리 모험 소설입니다.
이 작품은 유럽 귀족사회와 얽힌 과거를 지닌 수수께끼 같은 인물 John Armitage를 중심으로 이야기가 전개됩니다.
소설은 John Armitage가 나이 든 오스트리아의 총리 Ferdinand von Stroebel 백작과 대화를 나누는 장면으로 시작됩니다. 그들의 대화는 Archduke Karl의 죽음을 둘러싼 정치적 음모와 어두운 비밀을 암시하며, Armitage가 유럽에서 펼쳐지는 사건들에 대한 중요한 정보를 가지고 있음을 보여줍니다.
이야기는 제네바를 배경으로 펼쳐지며, Armitage가 첩보와 기만, 개인적 관계의 복잡성을 헤쳐나가는 과정에서 긴장감이 고조됩니다. 이 과정에서 그의 생명과 제국의 운명이 위태로운 상황임이 분명해집니다.
이러한 도입부는 정체성, 충성심, 그리고 과거의 선택이 현재에 미치는 영향을 긴장감 넘치게 탐구하는 토대를 마련합니다.

Classics Read in English _ The Port of Missing Men by Meredith Nicholson
"The Port of Missing Men" by Meredith Nicholson is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story combines elements of mystery and adventure, centering on the character John Armitage, an enigmatic figure with a past intertwined with European nobility. The opening of the book introduces readers to John Armitage as he engages in a dialogue with Count Ferdinand von Stroebel, an aging Austrian premier. Their conversation hints at political intrigue and dark secrets surrounding the death of Archduke Karl, suggesting that Armitage holds crucial information about the events unfolding in Europe. The narrative unfolds in Geneva, where tension builds as Armitage navigates the complexities of espionage, deception, and personal connections, making clear that both his life and the fate of the empire are at stake. This opening sets the stage for a suspenseful exploration of identity, loyalty, and the impact of past choices on present circumstances.

Among the contents
“The knowledge that you’re alive gives me no pleasure,” growled the grim old Austrian premier.
“Thank you!” laughed John Armitage, to whom he had spoken. “You have lost none of your old amiability; but for a renowned diplomat, you are remarkably frank. When I called on you in Paris, a year ago, I was able to render you?I believe you admitted it?a slight service.”
Count Ferdinand von Stroebel bowed slightly, but did not take his eyes from the young man who sat opposite him in his rooms at the Hotel Monte Rosa in Geneva. On the table between them stood an open despatch box, and about it lay a number of packets of papers which the old gentleman, with characteristic caution, had removed to his own side of the table before admitting his caller. He was a burly old man, with massive shoulders and a great head thickly covered with iron-gray hair.

Contents
I. “Events, Events”
II. The Claibornes, of Washington
III. Dark Tidings
IV. John Armitage a Prisoner
V. A Lost Cigarette Case
VI. Toward the Western Stars
VII. On the Dark Deck
VIII. “The King Is Dead; Long Live the King”
IX. “This Is America, Mr. Armitage”
X. John Armitage Is Shadowed
XI. The Toss of a Napkin
XII. A Camp in the Mountains
XIII. The Lady of the Pergola
XIV. An Enforced Interview
XV. Shirley Learns a Secret
XVI. Narrow Margins
XVII. A Gentleman in Hiding
XVIII. An Exchange of Messages
XIX. Captain Claiborne on Duty
XX. The First Ride Together
XXI. The Comedy of a Sheepfold
XXII. The Prisoner at the Bungalow
XXIII. The Verge of Morning
XXIV. The Attack in the Road
XXV. The Port of Missing Men
XXVI. “Who Are You, John Armitage?”
XXVII. Decent Burial
XXVIII. John Armitage