a journey in other worlds-第59节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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