CHAPTER VII.
A WOMAN'S COURAGE
Thus ended this memorable seance. That conversation threw me into afever. I came out of my uncle's study as if I had been stunned, andas if there was not air enough in all the streets of Hamburg to putme right again. I therefore made for the banks of the Elbe, where thesteamer lands her passengers, which forms the communication betweenthe city and the Hamburg railway.
Was I convinced of the truth of what I had heard? Had I not bentunder the iron rule of the Professor Liedenbrock? Was I to believehim in earnest in his intention to penetrate to the centre of thismassive globe? Had I been listening to the mad speculations of alunatic, or to the scientific conclusions of a lofty genius? Wheredid truth stop? Where did error begin?
I was all adrift amongst a thousand contradictory hypotheses, but Icould not lay hold of one.
Yet I remembered that I had been convinced, although now myenthusiasm was beginning to cool down; but I felt a desire to startat once, and not to lose time and courage by calm reflection. I hadat that moment quite courage enough to strap my knapsack to myshoulders and start.
But I must confess that in another hour this unnatural excitementabated, my nerves became unstrung, and from the depths of the abyssesof this earth I ascended to its surface again.
"It is quite absurd!" I cried, "there is no sense about it. Nosensible young man should for a moment entertain such a proposal. Thewhole thing is non-existent. I have had a bad night, I have beendreaming of horrors."
But I had followed the banks of the Elbe and passed the town. Afterpassing the port too, I had reached the Altona road. I was led by apresentiment, soon to be realised; for shortly I espied my littleGraeuben bravely returning with her light step to Hamburg.
"Graeuben!" I cried from afar off.
The young girl stopped, rather frightened perhaps to hear her namecalled after her on the high road. Ten yards more, and I had joinedher.
"Axel!" she cried surprised. "What! have you come to meet me? Is thiswhy you are here, sir?"
But when she had looked upon me, Graeuben could not fail to see theuneasiness and distress of my mind.
"What is the matter?" she said, holding out her hand.
"What is the matter, Graeuben?" I cried.
In a couple of minutes my pretty Virlandaise was fully informed ofthe position of affairs. For a time she was silent. Did her heartpalpitate as mine did? I don't know about that, but I know that herhand did not tremble in mine. We went on a hundred yards withoutspeaking.
At last she said, "Axel!"
"My dear Graeuben."
"That will be a splendid journey!"
I gave a bound at these words.
"Yes, Axel, a journey worthy of the nephew of a savant; it is a goodthing for a man to be distinguished by some great enterprise."
"What, Graeuben, won't you dissuade me from such an undertaking?"
"No, my dear Axel, and I would willingly go with you, but that a poorgirl would only be in your way."
"Is that quite true?"
"It is true."
Ah! women and young girls, how incomprehensible are your femininehearts! When you are not the timidest, you are the bravest ofcreatures. Reason has nothing to do with your actions. What! did thischild encourage me in such an expedition! Would she not be afraid tojoin 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 wasashamed.
"Graeuben, we will see whether you will say the same thing to-morrow."
"To-morrow, dear Axel, I will say what I say to-day."
Graeuben and I, hand in hand, but in silence, pursued our way. Theemotions of that day were breaking my heart.
After all, I thought, the kalends of July are a long way off, andbetween this and then many things may take place which will cure myuncle of his desire to travel underground.
It was night when we arrived at the house in Koenigstrasse. I expectedto find all quiet there, my uncle in bed as was his custom, andMartha giving her last touches with the feather brush.
But I had not taken into account the Professor's impatience. I foundhim shouting--and working himself up amidst a crowd of porters andmessengers who were all depositing various loads in the passage. Ourold servant was at her wits' end.
"Come, Axel, come, you miserable wretch," my uncle cried from as faroff as he could see me. "Your boxes are not packed, and my papers arenot arranged; where's the key of my carpet bag? and what have youdone with my gaiters?"
I stood thunderstruck. My voice failed. Scarcely could my lips utterthe words:
"Are we really going?"
"Of course, you unhappy boy! Could I have dreamed that you would havegone 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 makingpurchases of a part of the tools and apparatus required for thisdesperate undertaking. The passage was encumbered with rope ladders,knotted cords, torches, flasks, 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 quitedecided I would not open the door. But how was I to resist the sweetvoice which was always music to my ears, saying, "My dear Axel?"
I came out of my room. I thought my pale countenance and my red andsleepless eyes would work upon Graeuben's sympathies and change hermind.
"Ah! my dear Axel," she said. "I see you are better. A night's resthas done you good."
"Done me good!" I exclaimed.
I rushed to the glass. Well, in fact I did look better than I hadexpected. I could hardly believe my own eyes.
"Axel," she said, "I have had a long talk with my guardian. He is abold philosopher, a man of immense courage, and you must rememberthat his blood flows in your veins. He has confided to me his plans,his hopes, and why and how he hopes to attain his object. He will nodoubt succeed. My dear Axel, it is a grand thing to devote yourselfto science! What honour will fall upon Herr Liedenbrock, and so bereflected upon his companion! When you return, Axel, you will be aman, his equal, free to speak and to act independently, and free to--"
The dear girl only finished this sentence by blushing. Her wordsrevived me. Yet I refused to believe we should start. I drew Graeubeninto the Professor's study.
"Uncle, is it true that we are to go?"
"Why do you doubt?"
"Well, I don't doubt," I said, not to vex him; "but, I ask, what needis there to hurry?"
"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 Icelandin a couple of days? If you had not deserted me like a fool I shouldhave taken you to the Copenhagen office, to Liffender & Co., and youwould have learned then that there is only one trip every month fromCopenhagen to Rejkiavik, on the 22nd."
"Well?"
"Well, if we waited for the 22nd June we should be too late to seethe shadow of Scartaris touch the crater of Sneffels. Therefore wemust get to Copenhagen as fast as we can to secure our passage. Goand pack up."
There was no reply to this. I went up to my room. Graeuben followedme. She undertook to pack up all things necessary for my voyage. Shewas no more moved than if I had been starting for a little trip toLuebeck or Heligoland. Her little hands moved without haste. Shetalked quietly. She supplied me with sensible reasons for ourexpedition. She delighted me, and yet I was angry with her. Now andthen I felt I ought to break out into a passion, but she took nonotice and went on her way as methodically as ever.
Finally the last strap was buckled; I came downstairs. All that daythe philosophical instrument makers and the electricians kept comingand going. Martha was distracted.
"I
s master mad?" she asked.
I nodded my head.
"And is he going to take you with him?"
I nodded again.
"Where to?"
I pointed with my finger downward.
"Down into the cellar?" cried the old servant.
"No," I said. "Lower down than that."
Night came. But I knew nothing about the lapse of time.
"To-morrow morning at six precisely," my uncle decreed "we start."
At ten o'clock I fell upon my bed, a dead lump of inert matter. Allthrough the night terror had hold of me. I spent it dreaming ofabysses. I was a prey to delirium. I felt myself grasped by theProfessor's sinewy hand, dragged along, hurled down, shattered intolittle bits. I dropped down unfathomable precipices with theaccelerating velocity of bodies falling through space. My life hadbecome an endless fall. I awoke at five with shattered nerves,trembling and weary. I came downstairs. My uncle was at table,devouring his breakfast. I stared at him with horror and disgust. Butdear Graeuben was there; so I said nothing, and could eat nothing.
At half-past five there was a rattle of wheels outside. A largecarriage was there to take us to the Altona railway station. It wassoon piled up with my uncle's multifarious preparations.
"Where's your box?" he cried.
"It is ready," I replied, with faltering voice.
"Then make haste down, or we shall lose the train."
It was now manifestly impossible to maintain the struggle againstdestiny. I went up again to my room, and rolling my portmanteausdownstairs I darted after him.
At that moment my uncle was solemnly investing Graeuben with the reinsof government. My pretty Virlandaise was as calm and collected as washer wont. She kissed her guardian; but could not restrain a tear intouching my cheek with her gentle lips.
"Graeuben!" I murmured.
"Go, my dear Axel, go! I am now your betrothed; and when you comeback I will be your wife."
I pressed her in my arms and took my place in the carriage. Marthaand the young girl, standing at the door, waved their last farewell.Then the horses, roused by the driver's whistling, darted off at agallop on the road to Altona.