"Oh, that's all right," said Melick. "Anyone who chose to get up this thing would of course read up about the polar day, and all that. Everyone knows that at the poles there is a six-months' day, followed by a six-months' night." "You are a determined sceptic," said the doctor. "How is it about the polar day?" asked Featherstone. "Well," said the doctor, "at the poles themselves there is one day of six months, during which the sun never sets, and one night of six months, during which he never rises. In the spaces between the polar circles the quantities of the continuous day and continuous night vary in accordance with the distance from the pole. At the north point of Nova Zembla, 75 degrees north latitude, there is uninterrupted light from May 1st to August 12th, and uninterrupted darkness from November 8th to February 9th. At the arctic circle at the summer solstice the day is twenty-four hours long. At the antarctic circle at the same time the night is twenty-four hours long." Upon this Melick filled the doctor's wine-glass with a great deal of ceremony. "After all those statistics," he said, "you must feel rather dry. You should take a drink before venturing any further." The doctor made no reply, but raised the glass to his lips and swallowed the wine in an abstracted way. "The thing that struck me most," said Oxenden, "in all that has been read thus far, is the flatness of the South Pole, and the peculiar effect which this produces on the landscape." "I must say," added Melick, "that the writer has got hold of a very good idea there, and has taken care to put it forward in a very prominent fashion." "What is the difference," asked Oxenden, "between the two diameters of the earth, the polar and the equatorial? Is it known?" "By Jove!" said Featherstone, "that's the very question I was going to ask. I've always heard that the earth is flattened at the poles, but never knew how much. Is there any way by which people can find out?" The doctor drew a long breath, and beamed upon the company with a benevolent smile. "Oh yes," said he; "I can answer that question, if you care to know and won't feel bored." "Answer it, then, my dear fellow, by all means," said Featherstone, in his most languid tone.