a journey in other worlds-第48章

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advancing　science　as　in　any　other　wayI　shall　pine　for　another
journey　in　space　as　I　now　do　to　return。〃
　　　
〃How　I　wish　I　were　engaged；〃　said　Bearwarden；　glancing　at
Cortlandt；　and　overjoyed　at　Ayrault's　recovery。
　　　
Accordingly；　they　resumed　their　march　in　the　direction　in　which
they　had　been　going　when　they　found　Ayrault；　and　were　soon　beside
the　Callisto。　　Cortlandt　worked　the　combination　lock　of　the　lower
entrance；　through　which　they　crawled。　　Going　to　the　second　story；
they　opened　a　large　window　and　let　down　a　ladder；　on　which　the
spirit　ascended　at　their　invitation。
　　　
Bearwarden　and　Ayrault　immediately　set　about　combining　the
chemicals　that　were　to　produce　the　force　necessary　to　repel　them
from　Saturn。　　Bubbles　of　hydrogen　were　given　off　from　the　lead
and　zinc　plates；　and　the　viscous　primary　batteries　quickly　had
the　wires　passing　through　a　vacuum　at　a　white　heat。
　　　
〃I　see　you　are　nearly　ready　to　start；〃　said　the　spirit；　〃so　I
must　say　farewell。〃
　　　
〃Will　you　not　come　with　us？〃　asked　Ayrault。
　　　
〃No；〃　replied　the　spirit。　　〃I　do　not　wish　to　be　away　as　long　as
it　will　take　you　to　reach　the　earth。　　The　Callisto's　atmosphere
could　not　absorb　my　body；　so　that；　should　I　leave　you　before　your
arrival；　you　would　be　burdened　with　a　corpse。　　I　may　visit　you　in
the　spirit；　though　the　desire　and　effort　for　communion　with
spirits；　to　be　of　most　good；　must　needs　come　from　the　earth。　　Ere
long；　my　intuition　tells　me；　we　shall　meet　again。
　　　
〃The　vision　of　your　own　grave；〃　he　continued；　addressing
Cortlandt；　〃may　not　come　true　for　many　years；　but　however　long
your　lives　may　be；　according　to　earthly　reckoning；　remember　that
when　they　are　past　they　will　seem　to　have　been　hardly　more　than　a
moment；　for　they　are　the　personification　of　frailty　and
evanescence。〃
　　　
He　held　up　his　hands　and　blessed　them；　and　then　repeating；
〃Farewell　and　a　happy　return！〃　descended　as　he　had　come　up。
　　　
The　air　was　filled　with　misty　shadows；　and　the　pulsating　hearts；
luminous　brains；　and　centres　of　spiritual　activity　quivered　with
motion。　　They　surrounded　the　incarnate　spirit　of　the　bishop　and
set　up　the　soft；　musical　hum　the　travellers　had　heard　so　often
since　their　arrival　on　Saturn。
　　　
〃I　now　understand；〃　thought　Ayrault；　〃why　the　spirits　I　met　kept
repeating　that　I　should　be　happy。　　They　perceived　I　was　to　be
translated；　and　though　they　doubtless　knew　what　suffering　it
would　cause；　they　also　knew　I　should　be　awakened　to　a　sense　of
great　realities；　of　which　I　understood　but　little。〃
　　　
They　drew　up　the　ladder　and　turned　on　the　current；　and　the
Callisto　slowly　began　to　rise；　while　the　three　friends　crowded
the　window。
　　　
〃Good…bye！〃　called　the　spirit's　pleasant　voice；　to　which　the　men
replied　in　chorus。
　　　
The　sun　had　set　on　the　surface　of　the　planet　while　they　made
their　preparations；　but　as　the　Callisto　rose　higher；　it　seemed　to
rise　again；　making　the　sides　of　their　car　shine　like　silver；　and；
carefully　closing　the　two　open　windows；　they　watched　the
fast…receding　world；　so　many　times　larger　and　more　magnificent
than　their　own。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XV。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MOTHER　EARTH。

〃There　is　something　sad；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃about　the　end　of
everything；　but　I　am　more　sorry　to　leave　Saturn　than　I　have　ever
been　in　taking　leave　of　any　other　place。〃
　　　
When　beyond　the　limits　of　the　atmosphere　they　applied　the　full
current；　and　were　soon　once　more　cleaving　the　ether　at　cometary
speed；　their　motion　towards　the　sun　being　aided　by　that　great
body　itself。
　　　
They　quickly　passed　beyond　the　outer　edge　of　the　vast　silvery
rings；　and　then　crossed　one　after　another　the　orbits　of　the
moons；　from　the　last　of　which；　Iapetus；　they　obtained　their　final
course　in　the　direction　of　the　earth。　　They　had　an　acute　feeling
of　homesickness　for　the　mysterious　planet　on　which；　while　yet
mortal；　they　had　found　paradise；　and　had　communed　with　spirits　as
no　modern　men　ever　did。
　　　
Without　deviating　from　their　almost　straight　line；　they　passed
within　a　million　miles　of　Jupiter；　which　had　gained　in　its
smaller　orbit　on　Saturn；　and　a　few　days　later　crossed　the　track
of　Mars。
　　　
As　the　earth　had　completed　nearly　half　a　revolution　in　its　orbit
since　their　departure；　they　here　turned　somewhat　to　the　right　by
attracting　the　ruddy　planet；　in　order　to　avoid　passing　too　near
the　sun。
　　　
〃On　some　future　expedition；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃and　when　we　have　a
supply　of　blue　glasses；　we　can　take　a　trip　to　Venus；　if　we　can
find　a　possible　season　in　her　year。　　Compared　with　this　journey；
it　would　be　only　like　going　round　the　block。〃
　　　
Two　days　later　they　had　rounded　the　sun；　and　laid　their　course　in
pursuit　of　the　earth。
　　　
That　the　astronomers　in　the　dark　hemisphere　were　at　their　posts
and　saw　them；　was　evident；　for　a　brilliant　beam　of　light　again
flashed　forth；　this　time　from　a　point　a　little　south　of　the
arctic　circle；　and　after　shining　one　minute；　telegraphed　this
message：　　〃Rejoiced　to　see　you　again。　　Hope　all　are　well。〃
　　　
Since　they　were　not　sufficiently　near　the　moon's　shadow；　they
directed　their　light…beam　into　their　own；　which　trailed　off　on
one　side；　and　answered：　　〃All　well；　thank　you。　　Have　wonderful
things　to　relate。〃
　　　
The　men　at　the　telescopes　then；　as　before；　read　the　message；　and
telephoned　the　light　this　next　question：　　〃When　are　you　coming
down；　that　we　may　notify　the　newspapers？〃
　　　
〃We　wish　one　more　sight　of　the　earth　from　this　height；　by
daylight。　　We　are　now　swinging　to　get　between　it　and　the　sun。〃
　　　
〃We　have　erected　a　monument　in　Van　Cortlandt　Park；　and　engraved
upon　it；　'At　this　place　James　Bearwarden；　Henry　Chelmsford
Cortlandt；　and　Richard　Rokeby　Ayrault　left　earth；　December　21；　A。
D。　2000；　to　visit　Jupiter。'〃
　　　
〃Add　to　it；　'They　returned　on　the　10th　of　the　following　June。'〃
　　　
Soon　the　Callisto　came　nearly　between　the　earth　and　the　sun；　when
the　astronomers　could　see　it　only　through　darkened　glasses；　and
it　appeared　almost　as　a　crescent。　　The　sight　the　travellers　then
beheld　was　superb。　　It　was　about　11　A。　M。　in　London；　and　Europe
was　spread　before　them　like　a　map。　　All　its　peninsulas　and
islands；　enclosed　blue　seas；　and　bays　came　out　in　clear　relief。　
Gradually　Russia；　Germany；　France；　the　British　Isles；　and　Spain
moved　towards　the　horizon；　as　in　grand　procession；　and　at　the
same　time　the　Western　hemisphere　appeared。　　The　hour　of　day　at
the　longitude　above　which　they　hung　was　about　the　same　as　when
they　set　out；　but　the　sun　shone　far　more　directly　upon　the
Northern　hemisphere　than　then；　and　instead　of　bleak　December；
this　was　the　leafy　month　of　June。
　　　
They　were　loath　to　end　the　lovely　scene；　and　would　fain　have
remained　where　they　were　while　the　earth　revolved　again；　but；
remembering　that　their　friends　must　by　this　time　be　waiting；　they
shut　off　the　repulsion　from　the　earth。
　　　
〃We　need　not　apply　the　apergy　to　the　earth　until　quite　near；〃
said　Ayrault；　〃since　a　great　part　of　the　top　speed　will　be　taken
off　by　the　resistance　of　the　atmosphere；　especially　as　we　go　in
base　first。　　We　have　only　to　keep　a　sufficiently　strong　repulsion
on　the　dome　to　prevent　our　turning　over；　and　to　see　that　our
speed　is　not　great　enough　to　heat　the　car。〃
　　　
When　about　fifty　miles　from　the　surface　they　felt　the　expected
check；　and　concluded　they　had　reached　the　upper　limits　of　the
atmosphere。　　And　this　increased；　notwithstanding　the　decrease　in
their　speed；　showing　how　quickly　the　air　became　dense。
　　　
When　about　a　mile　from　the　earth　they　had　the　Callisto　well　in
hand；　and　allowed　it　to　descend　slowly。　　The　ground　was　already
black　with　people；　who；　having　learned　where　the　Callisto　was　to
touch；　had　hastened　to　Van　Cortlandt　Park。
　　　
〃I　am　overjoyed　to　see　you；〃　said　Sylvia；　when　she　and　Ayrault
met。　　〃I　had　the　most　dreadful　presentiment　that　something　had
gone　wrong　with　you。　　One　afternoon　and　evening　I　was　so
perplexed；　and　during　the　night　had　a　series　of　nightmares　that　I
shall　never　forget。　　I　really　believed　you　were　near　me；　but　your
nature　seemed　to　have　changed；　for；　instead　of　its　making　me
happy；　I　was　frightfully　distressed。　　The　next　day　I　was　very
ill；　and　unable　to　get　up；　but　during　the　morning　I　fell　asleep
and　had　another　dream；　which　was　intensely　realistic　and　made　me
believeyes；　convinced　methat　you　were　well。　　After　that　dream
I　soon　recovered；　but　oh；　the　anguish　of　the　first！〃
　　　
Ayrault　did　not　tell　her　then　that　he　had　been　near　her；　and　of
his　unspeakable　suffering；　of　which　hers　had　been　but　the　echo。
　　　
Three　weeks　later　a　clergyman　tied　the　knot　that　was　to　unite
them　forever。
　　
While　Sylvia　and　Ayrault　were　standing　up　to　receive　the
congratulations　of　their　friends；　Bearwarden；　in　shaking　his
hand；　said：
　　　
〃Remember；　we　have　been　to　neither　Uranus；　nor　Neptune；　nor
Cassandra；　which　may　be　as　interesting　as　anything　we　have　seen。　
Should　you　want　to　take　another　trip；　count　me　as　your　humble
servant。〃　　And　Cortlandt；　following　behind　him；　said　the　same
thing。
　　　
Shortly　after　this；　Sylvia　went　up…stairs　to　change　her　dress；
and　when　she　came　down　she　and　Ayrault　set　out　on　their　journey
together　through　life；　amid　a　chorus　of　cheers　and　a　shower　of
rice。
　　　
Cortlandt　then　returned　to　his　department　at　Washington；　and
Bearwarden　resumed　his　duties　with　the　Terrestrial　Axis
Straightening　Company；　in　the　presidential　chair。







End