"Yes, my good uncle," I whispered.
"My dear boy," continued the grim Professor, clasping me to his heart, "you are saved!"
I was deeply and unaffectedly touched by the tone in which these words were uttered, and even more by the kindly5 care which accompanied them. The Professor, however, was one of those men who must be severely6 tried in order to induce any display of affection or gentle emotion. At this moment our friend Hans, the guide, joined us. He saw my hand in that of my uncle, and I venture to say that, taciturn as he was, his eyes beamed with lively satisfaction.
"God dag," he said.
"Good day, Hans, good day," I replied, in as hearty7 a tone as I could assume, "and now, Uncle, that we are together, tell me where we are. I have lost all idea of our position, as of everything else."
"Tomorrow, Harry8, tomorrow," he replied. "Today you are far too weak. Your head is surrounded with bandages and poultices that must not be touched. Sleep, my boy, sleep, and tomorrow you will know all that you require."
"But," I cried, "let me know what o'clock it is—what day it is?"
"It is now eleven o'clock at night, and this is once more Sunday. It is now the ninth of the month of August. And I distinctly prohibit you from asking any more questions until the tenth of the same."
I was, if the truth were told, very weak indeed, and my eyes soon closed involuntarily. I did require a good night's rest, and I went off reflecting at the last moment that my perilous9 adventure in the interior of the earth, in total darkness, had lasted four days!
On the morning of the next day, at my awakening10, I began to look around me. My sleeping place, made of all our traveling bedding, was in a charming grotto11, adorned12 with magnificent stalagmites, glittering in all the colors of the rainbow, the floor of soft and silvery sand.
A dim obscurity prevailed. No torch, no lamp was lighted, and yet certain unexplained beams of light penetrated13 from without, and made their way through the opening of the beautiful grotto.
I, moreover, heard a vague and indefinite murmur14, like the ebb15 and flow of waves upon a strand16, and sometimes I verily believed I could hear the sighing of the wind.
I began to believe that, instead of being awake, I must be dreaming. Surely my brain had not been affected4 by my fall, and all that occurred during the last twenty-four hours was not the frenzied17 visions of madness? And yet after some reflection, a trial of my faculties18, I came to the conclusion that I could not be mistaken. Eyes and ears could not surely both deceive me.
"It is a ray of the blessed daylight," I said to myself, "which has penetrated through some mighty19 fissure20 in the rocks. But what is the meaning of this murmur of waves, this unmistakable moaning of the salt-sea billows? I can hear, too, plainly enough, the whistling of the wind. But can I be altogether mistaken? If my uncle, during my illness, has but carried me back to the surface of the earth! Has he, on my account, given up his wondrous21 expedition, or in some strange manner has it come to an end?"
I was puzzling my brain over these and other questions, when the Professor joined me.
"I am very much better," I replied, actually sitting up in my bed.
"I knew that would be the end of it, as you slept both soundly and tranquilly23. Hans and I have each taken turn to watch, and every hour we have seen visible signs of amelioration."
"You must be right, Uncle," was my reply, "for I feel as if I could do justice to any meal you could put before me."
"You shall eat, my boy, you shall eat. The fever has left you. Our excellent friend Hans has rubbed your wounds and bruises24 with I know not what ointment25, of which the Icelanders alone possess the secret. And they have healed your bruises in the most marvelous manner. Ah, he's a wise fellow is Master Hans."
While he was speaking, my uncle was placing before me several articles of food, which, despite his earnest injunctions, I readily devoured26. As soon as the first rage of hunger was appeased27, I overwhelmed him with questions, to which he now no longer hesitated to give answers.
I then learned, for the first time, that my providential fall had brought me to the bottom of an almost perpendicular28 gallery. As I came down, amidst a perfect shower of stones, the least of which falling on me would have crushed me to death, they came to the conclusion that I had carried with me an entire dislocated rock. Riding as it were on this terrible chariot, I was cast headlong into my uncle's arms. And into them I fell, insensible and covered with blood.
"It is indeed a miracle," was the Professor's final remark, "that you were not killed a thousand times over. But let us take care never to separate; for surely we should risk never meeting again."
"Let us take care never again to separate."
These words fell with a sort of chill upon my heart. The journey, then, was not over. I looked at my uncle with surprise and astonishment29. My uncle, after an instant's examination of my countenance, said: "What is the matter, Harry?"
"I want to ask you a very serious question. You say that I am all right in health?"
"Certainly you are."
"Most undoubtedly31."
"But what about my head?" was my next anxious question.
"Well, your head, except that you have one or two contusions, is exactly where it ought to be—on your shoulders," said my uncle, laughing.
"Well, my own opinion is that my head is not exactly right. In fact, I believe myself slightly delirious32."
"What makes you think so?"
"I will explain why I fancy I have lost my senses," I cried. "Have we not returned to the surface of Mother Earth?"
"Certainly not."
"Then truly I must be mad, for do I not see the light of day? do I not hear the whistling of the wind? and can I not distinguish the wash of a great sea?"
"And that is all that makes you uneasy?" said my uncle, with a smile.
"Can you explain?"
"I will not make any attempt to explain; for the whole matter is utterly33 inexplicable34. But you shall see and judge for yourself. You will then find that geological science is as yet in its infancy—and that we are doomed35 to enlighten the world."
"Let us advance, then," I cried eagerly, no longer able to restrain my curiosity.
"Wait a moment, my dear Harry," he responded; "you must take precautions after your illness before going into the open air."
"The open air?"
"Yes, my boy. I have to warn you that the wind is rather violent—and I have no wish for you to expose yourself without necessary precautions."
"Have just a little patience, my boy. A relapse would be inconvenient37 to all parties. We have no time to lose—as our approaching sea voyage may be of long duration."
"Sea voyage?" I cried, more bewildered than ever.
"Yes. You must take another day's rest, and we shall be ready to go on board by tomorrow," replied my uncle, with a peculiar38 smile.
"Go on board!" The words utterly astonished me.
Go on board—what and how? Had we come upon a river, a lake, had we discovered some inland sea? Was a vessel39 lying at anchor in some part of the interior of the earth?
My curiosity was worked up to the very highest pitch. My uncle made vain attempts to restrain me. When at last, however, he discovered that my feverish40 impatience41 would do more harm than good—and that the satisfaction of my wishes could alone restore me to a calm state of mind—he gave way.
I dressed myself rapidly—and then taking the precaution to please my uncle, of wrapping myself in one of the coverlets, I rushed out of the grotto.
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1
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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2
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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3
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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4
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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6
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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7
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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8
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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9
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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10
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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11
grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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14
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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15
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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16
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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17
frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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19
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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fissure
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| n.裂缝；裂伤 | |
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21
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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22
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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24
bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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25
ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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26
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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appeased
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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28
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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29
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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30
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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31
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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32
delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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33
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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34
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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35
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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36
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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37
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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38
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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39
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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40
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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41
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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