"No, he could n't."
"Well, that's just the way it will he. I shall arrange matters so that William will start say five feet behind the bottom of the car, and he will accordingly remain five feet behind it during the entire journey. Starting after the floor, he cannot catch up with it; and the ceiling starting behind him, it cannot catch up with him; so he will remain half-way between the floor and ceiling."
"Then you mean to say," said Mr. Curtis, "that William will have absolutely no weight at all during his whole trip through the earth. Yet not long ago you told me, on the contrary, that you expected he would have weight when he arrived near the center of the earth."
"True, and I say so again."
"What!" exclaimed William, "you really believe that while I shall have no weight at the start, I shall yet have a certain amount of weight when I get near the center!"
"I most certainly do," replied the doctor.
