To my great amazement, Captain Nemo signed to him. The diver answered with his hand, mounted immediately to the surface of the water, and did not appear again. “Do not be uncomfortable,” said Captain Nemo. “It is Nicholas of Cape Matapan, surnamed Pesca. He is well known in all the Cyclades. A bold diver! water is his element, and he lives more in it than on land, going continually from one island to another, even as far as Crete.” “You know him, Captain?” “Why not, M. Aronnax?” Saying which, Captain Nemo went towards a piece of furniture standing near the left panel of the saloon. Near this piece of furniture, I saw a chest bound with iron, on the cover of which was a copper plate, bearing the cypher of the _Nautilus_ with its device. At that moment, the Captain, without noticing my presence, opened the piece of furniture, a sort of strong box, which held a great many ingots. They were ingots of gold. From whence came this precious metal, which represented an enormous sum? Where did the Captain gather this gold from? and what was he going to do with it? I did not say one word. I looked. Captain Nemo took the ingots one by one, and arranged them methodically in the chest, which he filled entirely. I estimated the contents at more than 4,000 lbs. weight of gold, that is to say, nearly £200,000. The chest was securely fastened, and the Captain wrote an address on the lid, in characters which must have belonged to Modern Greece. This done, Captain Nemo pressed a knob, the wire of which communicated with the quarters of the crew. Four men appeared, and, not without some trouble, pushed the chest out of the saloon. Then I heard them hoisting it up the iron staircase by means of pulleys. At that moment, Captain Nemo turned to me. “And you were saying, sir?” said he. “I was saying nothing, Captain.” “Then, sir, if you will allow me, I will wish you good night.” Whereupon he turned and left the saloon. I returned to my room much troubled, as one may believe. I vainly tried to sleep—I sought the connecting link between the apparition of the diver and the chest filled with gold. Soon, I felt by certain movements of pitching and tossing that the _Nautilus_ was leaving the depths and returning to the surface. Then I heard steps upon the platform; and I knew they were unfastening the pinnace and launching it upon the waves. For one instant it struck the side of the _Nautilus_, then all noise ceased. Two hours after, the same noise, the same going and coming was renewed; the boat was hoisted on board, replaced in its socket, and the _Nautilus_ again plunged under the waves. So these millions had been transported to their address. To what point of the continent? Who was Captain Nemo’s correspondent? The next day I related to Conseil and the Canadian the events of the night, which had excited my curiosity to the highest degree. My companions were not less surprised than myself. “But where does he take his millions to?” asked Ned Land.