A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

unned, and as if there was not air enough in all the streets of Hamburg to put me right again. I therefore made for the banks

believe him in earnest in his intention to penetrate to the centre of this massive globe? Had I been listening to the mad

sand contradictory hypotheses,

down; but I felt a desire to start at once, and not to lose time and courage by calm reflecti

ement abated, my nerves became unstrung, and from the depths

oung man should for a moment entertain such a proposal. The whole thing i

oo, I had reached the Altona road. I was led by a presentiment, soon to be realised; f

I cried fro

aps to hear her name called after her on the h

hat! have you come to meet me?

r?uben could not fail to see the u

er?" she said, ho

matter, Gr?ub

For a time she was silent. Did her heart palpitate as mine did? I don't know about that, b

she said

ar Gr?

be a splend

ound at th

of a savant; it is a good thing for a man t

you dissuade me from

lingly go with you, but that a poo

t quite

is t

e the bravest of creatures. Reason has nothing to do with your actions. What! did this child encourage me in su

, if I must tell the wh

hether you will say the

Axel, I will say

silence, pursued our way. The emotio

ff, and between this and then many things may take place w

xpected to find all quiet there, my uncle in bed as was his cu

ng-and working himself up amidst a crowd of porters and messengers who were all

he could see me. "Your boxes are not packed, and my papers are not arrange

voice failed. Scarcely cou

really

amed that you would have gone out for a walk

I asked again, w

y after to-m

I fled for refuge in

apparatus required for this desperate undertaking. The passage was encumbered with rope ladders, knotted

e decided I would not open the door. But how was I to resist the sw

enance and my red and sleepless eyes would wor

"I see you are better. A nig

good!" I

I did look better than I had expected

ided to me his plans, his hopes, and why and how he hopes to attain his object. He will no doubt succeed. My dear Axel, it is a grand thing to devote yourself to science! What honou

. Her words revived me. Yet I refused to believe we s

t true that

o you

, not to vex him; "but, I ask

ying with irrep

16th May, and unti

deserted me like a fool I should have taken you to the Copenhagen office, to Liffender & Co., and you wo

el

shadow of Scartaris touch the crater of Sneffels. Therefore we must get

n starting for a little trip to Lübeck or Heligoland. Her little hands moved without haste. She talked quietly. She supplied me with sensible reasons for our expedition. S

ll that day the philosophical instrument makers and the

r mad?" s

ded m

ing to take y

ded a

ere

ith my fing

cellar?" cried

. "Lower dow

knew nothing about

six precisely," my unc

nd, dragged along, hurled down, shattered into little bits. I dropped down unfathomable precipices with the accelerating velocity of bodies falling through space. My life had become an endless fall. I awoke at five wi

e carriage was there to take us to the Altona railway station.

your box?

I replied, with

down, or we shall

ggle against destiny. I went up again to my room, and

t. My pretty Virlandaise was as calm and collected as was her wont. She kissed her

n!" I m

w your betrothed; and when you

ung girl, standing at the door, waved their last farewell. Then the horses, r