CHAPTER XV
DR. GILES STARTLES HIS HEARERS
TILL Dr. Giles hesitated; but when Flora laid a caressing hand on his shoulder, and looked up at him with imploring eyes, the last vestiges of his opposition vanished.
"Well, William," said he, "since you are determined upon going, I don't see but that I shall be obliged to let you make the trip. If there were any real danger, I could not, of course, think of such a thing; but, as a matter of fact, you ran more risks in coming here on the ship than you will in going through the earth. This voyage, being something out of the ordinary run, naturally frightens people more than a greater danger with which they are familiar. Novelty breeds fear, just as familiarity breeds contempt."
Flora beamed with delight as the doctor thus practically gave his consent, while William re-
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