CHAPTER VIII
IN WHICH MATTERS TAKE A SERIOUS TURN
O say that Mr. Curtis was astonished Would be to put the matter mildly.
"Well, doctor," said he, "perhaps you understand what you are about, but nobody else does. This whole matter has been a continual surprise to me from the very beginning; and as soon as I get used to one aspect of it, there immediately crops up something new. The very idea of piercing a hole through the earth first took my breath away; then a fresh surprise came when you decided to start the work under water. It seemed strange to commence operations under water instead of beginning on the land itself; still, I became accustomed even to this portion of the scheme, and accepted it. But just as I have reached this point, here you come with a new idea of building submarine boats and
