A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

g known in mineralogy lay there in their places in perfect order, and co

And there were bitumens, resins, organic salts, to be protected from the least grain of dust; and metals, from iron to gold, metals whose current value altogether disappeared in the presence of

ne filled my thoughts. He had thrown himself into a velvet easy-chair, and was gras

ok! What a wonderful bo

onal fits of bibliomania; but no old book had any value in his eyes unless it had

t a priceless treasure, that I found his mornin

lied, with a good im

d quarto, bound in rough calf, a yellow, faded

o lull yet in the admiring e

book open easily? Yes; it stops open anywhere. But does it shut equally well? Yes; for the binding and the leaves are flush, all in a straight line, and

ting the old tome. I really could do no less than ask a question a

?" I asked with an affected eagerness which he

my uncle, firing up w

s Kringla of Snorre Tu

e twelfth century! It

nces who rule

up wonderfully, "of course

is is the Icelandic original, in the magnificent idiomatic vernacular, which is both rich and

n." I happi

ition to all this, the Icelandic has three numbers like the Gr

ved out of my indifferenc

Axel? Type! Do you take it for a printed book, you ig

un

nt me to explai

ed man. But my uncle persevered, and told me, agai

nted, it is said, by Odin himself. Look there, and wonder, impious youn

way of answering equally pleasing to gods and kings, and which has the advantage of never giving

lip of parchment, which slipped out

An old document, enclosed an immemorial time within the

this?" h

rchment, five inches by three, and along whi

publicly known, for they were the means of drawing on Professor Liedenbrock and

lyphs oc

er this series of characters; then r

like those of the manuscript of Snorre Turl

orld, I was not sorry to see my uncle suffering the pangs of mystification. At least, so it

Icelandic," he mutter

yglot. Not that he could speak fluently in the two thousand languages and twelve tho

the impetuosity of his character, and I was preparing for a violent outb

housekeeper Martha opene

r is r

g, and Martha took to her heels for safety. I followed her, and har

inner. And yet what a good dinner it was! There was parsley soup, an omelette of ham garnished with spiced sorrel,

. As an affectionate and attentive nephew I considered it my duty

thing," said Martha. "M. Li

ieved it?" I said,

ng to happen," said the s

covered that his dinner was devoured. I had come to the last of the fruit when a very loud voice tore me