Was I convinced of the truth of what I had heard? Had I not bent3 under the iron rule of the Professor Liedenbrock? Was I to believe him in earnest in his intention to penetrate4 to the centre of this massive globe? Had I been listening to the mad speculations5 of a lunatic, or to the scientific conclusions of a lofty genius? Where did truth stop? Where did error begin?
I was all adrift amongst a thousand contradictory6 hypotheses, but I could not lay hold of one.
Yet I remembered that I had been convinced, although now my enthusiasm was beginning to cool down; but I felt a desire to start at once, and not to lose time and courage by calm reflection. I had at that moment quite courage enough to strap7 my knapsack to my shoulders and start.
But I must confess that in another hour this unnatural8 excitement abated9, my nerves became unstrung, and from the depths of the abysses of this earth I ascended10 to its surface again.
"It is quite absurd!" I cried, "there is no sense about it. No sensible young man should for a moment entertain such a proposal. The whole thing is non-existent. I have had a bad night, I have been dreaming of horrors."
But I had followed the banks of the Elbe and passed the town. After passing the port too, I had reached the Altona road. I was led by a presentiment11, soon to be realised; for shortly I espied12 my little Gräuben bravely returning with her light step to Hamburg.
"Gräuben!" I cried from afar off.
The young girl stopped, rather frightened perhaps to hear her name called after her on the high road. Ten yards more, and I had joined her.
"Axel!" she cried surprised. "What! have you come to meet me? Is this why you are here, sir?"
But when she had looked upon me, Gräuben could not fail to see the uneasiness and distress13 of my mind.
"What is the matter?" she said, holding out her hand.
"What is the matter, Gräuben?" I cried.
In a couple of minutes my pretty Virlandaise was fully14 informed of the position of affairs. For a time she was silent. Did her heart palpitate as mine did? I don't know about that, but I know that her hand did not tremble in mine. We went on a hundred yards without speaking.
At last she said, "Axel!"
"My dear Gräuben."
"That will be a splendid journey!"
I gave a bound at these words.
"Yes, Axel, a journey worthy15 of the nephew of a savant; it is a good thing for a man to be distinguished16 by some great enterprise."
"No, my dear Axel, and I would willingly go with you, but that a poor girl would only be in your way."
"Is that quite true?"
"It is true."
Ah! women and young girls, how incomprehensible are your feminine hearts! When you are not the timidest, you are the bravest of creatures. Reason has nothing to do with your actions. What! did this child encourage me in such an expedition! Would she not be afraid to join it herself? And she was driving me to it, one whom she loved!
I was disconcerted, and, if I must tell the whole truth, I was ashamed.
"Gräuben, we will see whether you will say the same thing to-morrow."
"To-morrow, dear Axel, I will say what I say to-day."
Gräuben and I, hand in hand, but in silence, pursued our way. The emotions of that day were breaking my heart.
After all, I thought, the kalends of July are a long way off, and between this and then many things may take place which will cure my uncle of his desire to travel underground.
It was night when we arrived at the house in Königstrasse. I expected to find all quiet there, my uncle in bed as was his custom, and Martha giving her last touches with the feather brush.
But I had not taken into account the Professor's impatience19. I found him shouting—and working himself up amidst a crowd of porters and messengers who were all depositing various loads in the passage. Our old servant was at her wits' end.
"Come, Axel, come, you miserable20 wretch," my uncle cried from as far off as he could see me. "Your boxes are not packed, and my papers are not arranged; where's the key of my carpet bag? and what have you done with my gaiters?"
I stood thunderstruck. My voice failed. Scarcely could my lips utter the words:
"Are we really going?"
"Of course, you unhappy boy! Could I have dreamed that you would have gone out for a walk instead of hurrying your preparations forward?"
"Are we to go?" I asked again, with sinking hopes.
"Yes; the day after to-morrow, early."
I could hear no more. I fled for refuge into my own little room.
All hope was now at an end. My uncle had been all the morning making purchases of a part of the tools and apparatus21 required for this desperate undertaking. The passage was encumbered22 with rope ladders, knotted cords, torches, flasks23, grappling irons, alpenstocks, pickaxes, iron shod sticks, enough to load ten men.
I spent an awful night. Next morning I was called early. I had quite decided24 I would not open the door. But how was I to resist the sweet voice which was always music to my ears, saying, "My dear Axel?"
I came out of my room. I thought my pale countenance25 and my red and sleepless26 eyes would work upon Gräuben's sympathies and change her mind.
"Ah! my dear Axel," she said. "I see you are better. A night's rest has done you good."
"Done me good!" I exclaimed.
I rushed to the glass. Well, in fact I did look better than I had expected. I could hardly believe my own eyes.
"Axel," she said, "I have had a long talk with my guardian27. He is a bold philosopher, a man of immense courage, and you must remember that his blood flows in your veins28. He has confided29 to me his plans, his hopes, and why and how he hopes to attain30 his object. He will no doubt succeed. My dear Axel, it is a grand thing to devote yourself to science! What honour will fall upon Herr Liedenbrock, and so be reflected upon his companion! When you return, Axel, you will be a man, his equal, free to speak and to act independently, and free to —"
The dear girl only finished this sentence by blushing. Her words revived me. Yet I refused to believe we should start. I drew Gräuben into the Professor's study.
"Uncle, is it true that we are to go?"
"Why do you doubt?"
"Time, time, flying with irreparable rapidity."
"But it is only the 16th May, and until the end of June—"
"What, you monument of ignorance! do you think you can get to Iceland in a couple of days? If you had not deserted32 me like a fool I should have taken you to the Copenhagen office, to Liffender & Co., and you would have learned then that there is only one trip every month from Copenhagen to Rejkiavik, on the 22nd."
"Well?"
"Well, if we waited for the 22nd June we should be too late to see the shadow of Scartaris touch the crater33 of Sneffels. Therefore we must get to Copenhagen as fast as we can to secure our passage. Go and pack up."
There was no reply to this. I went up to my room. Gräuben followed me. She undertook to pack up all things necessary for my voyage. She was no more moved than if I had been 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. She delighted me, and yet I was angry with her. Now and then I felt I ought to break out into a passion, but she took no notice and went on her way as methodically as ever.
Finally the last strap was buckled34; I came downstairs. All that day the philosophical35 instrument makers36 and the electricians kept coming and going. Martha was distracted.
"Is master mad?" she asked.
I nodded my head.
"And is he going to take you with him?"
I nodded again.
"Where to?"
"Down into the cellar?" cried the old servant.
"No," I said. "Lower down than that."
"To-morrow morning at six precisely," my uncle decreed "we start."
At ten o'clock I fell upon my bed, a dead lump of inert39 matter. All through the night terror had hold of me. I spent it dreaming of abysses. I was a prey40 to delirium41. I felt myself grasped by the Professor's sinewy42 hand, dragged along, hurled43 down, shattered into little bits. I dropped down unfathomable precipices44 with the accelerating velocity45 of bodies falling through space. My life had become an endless fall. I awoke at five with shattered nerves, trembling and weary. I came downstairs. My uncle was at table, devouring46 his breakfast. I stared at him with horror and disgust. But dear Gräuben was there; so I said nothing, and could eat nothing.
At half-past five there was a rattle47 of wheels outside. A large carriage was there to take us to the Altona railway station. It was soon piled up with my uncle's multifarious preparations.
"Where's your box?" he cried.
"Then make haste down, or we shall lose the train."
It was now manifestly impossible to maintain the struggle against destiny. I went up again to my room, and rolling my portmanteaus downstairs I darted49 after him.
At that moment my uncle was solemnly investing Gräuben with the reins50 of government. My pretty Virlandaise was as calm and collected as was her wont51. She kissed her guardian; but could not restrain a tear in touching52 my cheek with her gentle lips.
"Gräuben!" I murmured.
I pressed her in my arms and took my place in the carriage. Martha and the young girl, standing54 at the door, waved their last farewell. Then the horses, roused by the driver's whistling, darted off at a gallop55 on the road to Altona.
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1
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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2
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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3
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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4
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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5
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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6
contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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7
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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8
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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9
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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10
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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12
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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14
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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15
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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16
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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17
dissuade
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| v.劝阻，阻止 | |
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18
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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19
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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20
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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21
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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22
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
flasks
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| n.瓶，长颈瓶， 烧瓶( flask的名词复数 ) | |
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24
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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25
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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26
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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27
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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28
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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29
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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30
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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31
vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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32
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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33
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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34
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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35
philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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36
makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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37
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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38
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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39
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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40
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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41
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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42
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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43
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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44
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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45
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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46
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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47
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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48
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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49
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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50
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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51
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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52
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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53
betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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54
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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55
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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