"Come, Axel, come, you miserable wretch," my uncle cried from as far off as he could see me. "Your boxes are not packed, and my papers are not arranged; where's the key of my carpet bag? and what have you done with my gaiters?" I stood thunderstruck. My voice failed. Scarcely could my lips utter the words: "Are we really going?" "Of course, you unhappy boy! Could I have dreamed that you would have gone out for a walk instead of hurrying your preparations forward?" "Are we to go?" I asked again, with sinking hopes. "Yes; the day after to-morrow, early." I could hear no more. I fled for refuge into my own little room. All hope was now at an end. My uncle had been all the morning making purchases of a part of the tools and apparatus required for this desperate undertaking. The passage was encumbered with rope ladders, knotted cords, torches, flasks, grappling irons, alpenstocks, pickaxes, iron shod sticks, enough to load ten men. I spent an awful night. Next morning I was called early. I had quite decided I would not open the door. But how was I to resist the sweet voice which was always music to my ears, saying, "My dear Axel?" I came out of my room. I thought my pale countenance and my red and sleepless eyes would work upon Gräuben's sympathies and change her mind. "Ah! my dear Axel," she said. "I see you are better. A night's rest has done you good." "Done me good!" I exclaimed. I rushed to the glass. Well, in fact I did look better than I had expected. I could hardly believe my own eyes. "Axel," she said, "I have had a long talk with my guardian. He is a bold philosopher, a man of immense courage, and you must remember that his blood flows in your veins. He has confided to me his plans, his hopes, and why and how he hopes to attain his object. He will no doubt succeed. My dear Axel, it is a grand thing to devote yourself to science! What honour will fall upon Herr Liedenbrock, and so be reflected upon his companion! When you return, Axel, you will be a man, his equal, free to speak and to act independently, and free to --" The dear girl only finished this sentence by blushing. Her words revived me. Yet I refused to believe we should start. I drew Gräuben into the Professor's study. "Uncle, is it true that we are to go?" "Why do you doubt?" "Well, I don't doubt," I said, not to vex him; "but, I ask, what need is there to hurry?" "Time, time, flying with irreparable rapidity." "But it is only the 16th May, and until the end of June--" "What, you monument of ignorance! do you think you can get to Iceland in a couple of days? If you had not deserted me like a fool I should have taken you to the Copenhagen office, to Liffender & Co., and you would have learned then that there is only one trip every month from Copenhagen to Rejkiavik, on the 22nd." "Well?"