English
Ihadonlyjusttimetoreplacetheunfortunatedocumentuponthetable.
ProfessorLiedenbrockseemedtobegreatlyabstracted.
Therulingthoughtgavehimnorest.Evidentlyhehadgonedeeplyintothematter,analyticallyandwithprofoundscrutiny.
Hehadbroughtalltheresourcesofhismindtobearuponitduringhiswalk,andhehadcomebacktoapplysomenewcombination.
Hesatinhisarmchair,andpeninhandhebeganwhatlookedverymuchlikealgebraicformula:Ifollowedwithmyeyeshistremblinghands,Itookcountofeverymovement.
Mightnotsomeunhoped–forresultcomeofit?
Itrembled,too,veryunnecessarily,sincethetruekeywasinmyhands,andnootherwouldopenthesecret.
Forthreelonghoursmyuncleworkedonwithoutaword,withoutliftinghishead;rubbingout,beginningagain,thenrubbingoutagain,andsoonahundredtimes.
Iknewverywellthatifhesucceededinsettingdowntheselettersineverypossiblerelativeposition,thesentencewouldcomeout.
ButIknewalsothattwentylettersalonecouldformtwoquintillions,fourhundredandthirty–twoquadrillions,ninehundredandtwotrillions,eightbillions,ahundredandseventy–sixmillions,sixhundredandfortythousandcombinations.
Now,herewereahundredandthirty–twolettersinthissentence,andthesehundredandthirty–twoletterswouldgiveanumberofdifferentsentences,eachmadeupofatleastahundredandthirty–threefigures,anumberwhichpassedfarbeyondallcalculationorconception.
SoIfeltreassuredasfarasregardedthisheroicmethodofsolvingthedifficulty.
Buttimewaspassingaway;nightcameon;thestreetnoisesceased;myuncle,bendingoverhistask,noticednothing,notevenMarthahalfopeningthedoor;heheardnotasound,noteventhatexcellentwomansaying:
"Willnotmonsieurtakeanysupperto–night?"
AndpoorMarthahadtogoawayunanswered.
Asforme,afterlongresistance,Iwasovercomebysleep,andfelloffattheendofthesofa,whileuncleLiedenbrockwentoncalculatingandrubbingouthiscalculations.
WhenIawokenextmorningthatindefatigableworkerwasstillathispost.
Hisredeyes,hispalecomplexion,hishairtangledbetweenhisfeverishfingers,theredspotsonhischeeks,revealedhisdesperatestrugglewithimpossibilities,andthewearinessofspirit,thementalwrestlingshemusthaveundergoneallthroughthatunhappynight.
Totelltheplaintruth,Ipitiedhim.InspiteofthereproacheswhichIconsideredIhadarighttolayuponhim,acertainfeelingofcompassionwasbeginningtogainuponme.
Thepoormanwassoentirelytakenupwithhisoneideathathehadevenforgottenhowtogetangry.
Allthestrengthofhisfeelingswasconcentratedupononepointalone;andastheirusualventwasclosed,itwastobefearedlestextremetensionshouldgiverisetoanexplosionsoonerorlater.
Imightwithawordhaveloosenedthescrewofthesteelvicethatwascrushinghisbrain;butthatwordIwouldnotspeak.
YetIwasnotanill–naturedfellow.WhywasIdumbatsuchacrisis?Whysoinsensibletomyuncle'sinterests?
"No,no,"Irepeated,"Ishallnotspeak.
Hewouldinsistupongoing;nothingonearthcouldstophim.
Hisimaginationisavolcano,andtodothatwhichothergeologistshaveneverdonehewouldriskhislife.Iwillpreservesilence.
Iwillkeepthesecretwhichmerechancehasrevealedtome.
Todiscoverit,wouldbetokillProfessorLiedenbrock!Lethimfinditouthimselfifhecan.
IwillneverhaveitlaidtomydoorthatIledhimtohisdestruction."
Havingformedthisresolution,Ifoldedmyarmsandwaited.ButIhadnotreckonedupononelittleincidentwhichturnedupafewhoursafter.
WhenourgoodMarthawantedtogotoMarket,shefoundthedoorlocked.Thebigkeywasgone.Whocouldhavetakenitout?
Assuredly,itwasmyuncle,whenhereturnedthenightbeforefromhishurriedwalk.
Wasthisdoneonpurpose?Orwasitamistake?Didhewanttoreduceusbyfamine?Thisseemedlikegoingrathertoofar!What!
shouldMarthaandIbevictimsofapositionofthingsinwhichwehadnotthesmallestinterest?
Itwasafactthatafewyearsbeforethis,whilstmyunclewasworkingathisgreatclassificationofminerals,hewasforty–eighthourswithouteating,andallhishouseholdwereobligedtoshareinthisscientificfast.
Asforme,whatIrememberis,thatIgotseverecrampsinmystomach,whichhardlysuitedtheconstitutionofahungry,growinglad.
Nowitappearedtomeasifbreakfastwasgoingtobewanting,justassupperhadbeenthenightbefore.
YetIresolvedtobeahero,andnottobeconqueredbythepangsofhunger.
Marthatookitveryseriously,and,poorwoman,wasverymuchdistressed.
Asforme,theimpossibilityofleavingthehousedistressedmeagooddealmore,andforaverygoodreason.
Acagedlover'sfeelingsmayeasilybeimagined.
Myunclewentonworking,hisimaginationwentofframblingintotheidealworldofcombinations;hewasfarawayfromearth,andreallyfarawayfromearthlywants.
Aboutnoonhungerbegantostimulatemeseverely.
Marthahad,withoutthinkinganyharm,clearedoutthelarderthenightbefore,sothatnowtherewasnothingleftinthehouse.
StillIheldout;Imadeitapointofhonour.
Twoo'clockstruck.Thiswasbecomingridiculous;worsethanthat,unbearable.
IbegantosaytomyselfthatIwasexaggeratingtheimportanceofthedocument;thatmyunclewouldsurelynotbelieveinit,thathewouldsetitdownasamerepuzzle;thatifitcametotheworst,weshouldlayviolenthandsonhimandkeephimathomeifhethoughtonventuringontheexpeditionthat,afterall,hemighthimselfdiscoverthekeyofthecipher,andthatthenIshouldbeclearatthemereexpenseofmyinvoluntaryabstinence.
Thesereasonsseemedexcellenttome,thoughonthenightbeforeIshouldhaverejectedthemwithindignation;Ievenwentsofarastocondemnmyselfformyabsurdityinhavingwaitedsolong,andIfinallyresolvedtoletitallout.
Iwasthereforemeditatingaproperintroductiontothematter,soasnottoseemtooabrupt,whentheProfessorjumpedup,clappedonhishat,andpreparedtogoout.
Surelyhewasnotgoingout,toshutusinagain!no,never!
"Uncle!"Icried.
Heseemednottohearme.
"UncleLiedenbrock!"Icried,liftingupmyvoice.
"Ay,"heansweredlikeamansuddenlywaking.
"Uncle,thatkey!"
"Whatkey?Thedoorkey?"
"No,no!"Icried."Thekeyofthedocument."
TheProfessorstaredatmeoverhisspectacles;nodoubthesawsomethingunusualintheexpressionofmycountenance;forhelaidholdofmyarm,andspeechlesslyquestionedmewithhiseyes.
Yes,neverwasaquestionmoreforciblyput.
Inoddedmyheadupanddown.
Heshookhispityingly,asifhewasdealingwithalunatic.Igaveamoreaffirmativegesture.
Hiseyesglistenedandsparkledwithlivefire,hishandwasshakenthreateningly.
Thismuteconversationatsuchamomentouscrisiswouldhaverivetedtheattentionofthemostindifferent.
AndthefactreallywasthatIdarednotspeaknow,sointensewastheexcitementforfearlestmyuncleshouldsmothermeinhisfirstjoyfulembraces.
ButhebecamesourgentthatIwasatlastcompelledtoanswer.
"Yes,thatkey,chance–"
"Whatisthatyouaresaying?"heshoutedwithindescribableemotion.
"There,readthat!"Isaid,presentingasheetofpaperonwhichIhadwritten.
"Butthereisnothinginthis,"heanswered,crumplingupthepaper.
"No,nothinguntilyouproceedtoreadfromtheendtothebeginning."
IhadnotfinishedmysentencewhentheProfessorbrokeoutintoacry,nay,aroar.Anewrevelationburstinuponhim.Hewastransformed!
"Aha,cleverSaknussemm!"hecried."Youhadfirstwrittenoutyoursentencethewrongway."
Anddartinguponthepaper,witheyesbedimmed,andvoicechokedwithemotion,hereadthewholedocumentfromthelastlettertothefirst.
Itwasconceivedinthefollowingterms:
InSneffelsJoculiscrateremquemdelibat
UmbraScartarisJuliiintracalendasdescende,
Audaxviator,etterrestrecentrumattinges.
Quodfeci,ArneSaknussemm.[1]
WhichbadLatinmaybetranslatedthus:
"Descend,boldtraveller,intothecraterofthejokulofSneffels,whichtheshadowofScartaristouchesbeforethekalendsofJuly,andyouwillattainthecentreoftheearth;whichIhavedone,ArneSaknussemm."
Inreadingthis,myunclegaveaspringasifhehadtouchedaLeydenjar.
Hisaudacity,hisjoy,andhisconvictionsweremagnificenttobehold.
Hecameandhewent;heseizedhisheadbetweenbothhishands;hepushedthechairsoutoftheirplaces,hepileduphisbooks;incredibleasitmayseem,herattledhispreciousnodulesofflintstogether;hesentakickhere,athumpthere.
Atlasthisnervescalmeddown,andlikeamanexhaustedbytoolavishanexpenditureofvitalpower,hesankbackexhaustedintohisarmchair.
"Whato'clockisit?"heaskedafterafewmomentsofsilence.
"Threeo'clock,"Ireplied.
"Isitreally?Thedinner–hourispast,andIdidnotknowit.Iamhalfdeadwithhunger.Comeon,andafterdinner–"
[1]Inthecipher,audaxiswrittenavdas,andquodandquem,hodandken.(Tr.)
"Well?"
"Afterdinner,packupmytrunk."
"What?"Icried.
"Andyours!"repliedtheindefatigableProfessor,enteringthedining–room.
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