It was about the beginning of February, when the professor brought his complaint to Captain Servadac, and begged him to assign him a chamber, no matter how small, in which he should be free to carry on his task in silence and without molestation.
So readily did Servadac promise to do everything in his power to provide him with the accommodation for which he asked, that the professor was put into such a manifest good temper that the captain ventured to speak upon the matter that was ever uppermost in his mind.
"I do not mean," he began timidly, "to cast the least imputation of inaccuracy upon any of your calculations, but would you allow me, my dear professor, to suggest that you should revise your estimate of the duration of Gallia's period of revolution.
It is so important, you know, so all important; the difference of one half minute, you know, would so certainly mar the expectation of reunion with the earth--"And seeing a cloud gathering on Rosette's face, he added:
"I am sure Lieutenant Procope would be only too happy to render you any assistance in the revision.""Sir," said the professor, bridling up, "I want no assistant;my calculations want no revision. I never make an error.
I have made my reckoning as far as Gallia is concerned.
I am now making a like estimate of the elements of Nerina."Conscious how impolitic it would be to press this matter further, the captain casually remarked that he should have supposed that all the elements of Nerina had been calculated long since by astronomers on the earth.
It was about as unlucky a speech as he could possibly have made.
The professor glared at him fiercely.
"Astounding, sir!" he exclaimed. "Yes! Nerina was a planet then;everything that appertained to the planet was determined;but Nerina is a moon now. And do you not think, sir, that we have a right to know as much about our moon as those _terrestrials_"--and he curled his lip as he spoke with a contemptuous emphasis--"know of theirs?""I beg pardon," said the corrected captain.
"Well then, never mind," replied the professor, quickly appeased;"only will you have the goodness to get me a proper place for study?""I will, as I promised, do all I can," answered Servadac.
"Very good," said the professor. "No immediate hurry;an hour hence will do."
But in spite of this condescension on the part of the man of science, some hours had to elapse before any place of retreat could be discovered likely to suit his requirements; but at length a little nook was found in the side of the cavern just large enough to hold an armchair and a table, and in this the astronomer was soon ensconced to his entire satisfaction.
Buried thus, nearly 900 feet below ground, the Gallians ought to have had unbounded mental energy to furnish an.
adequate reaction to the depressing monotony of their existence;but many days would often elapse without any one of them ascending to the surface of the soil, and had it not been for the necessity of obtaining fresh water, it seemed almost probable that there would never have been an effort made to leave the cavern at all.
A few excursions, it is true, were made in the downward direction.
The three leaders, with Ben Zoof, made their way to the lower depths of the crater, not with the design of making any further examination as to the nature of the rock--for although it might be true enough that it contained thirty per cent.
of gold, it was as valueless to them as granite--but with the intention of ascertaining whether the subterranean fire still retained its activity. Satisfied upon this point, they came to the conclusion that the eruption which had so suddenly ceased in one spot had certainly broken out in another.
February, March, April, May, passed wearily by; but day succeeded to day with such gloomy sameness that it was little wonder that no notice was taken of the lapse of time.
The people seemed rather to vegetate than to live, and their want of vigor became at times almost alarming.
The readings around the long table ceased to be attractive, and the debates, sustained by few, became utterly wanting in animation. The Spaniards could hardly be roused to quit their beds, and seemed to have scarcely energy enough to eat.
The Russians, constitutionally of more enduring temperament, did not give way to the same extent, but the long and drear confinement was beginning to tell upon them all.
