XLII

Headlong Speed Upward Through the Horrors of Darkness

It might have been, as I guessed, about ten at night. The first of my senses which came into play after this last bout was that of hearing. All at once I could hear; and it was a real exercise of the sense of hearing. I could hear the silence in the gallery after the din which for hours had stunned me. At last these words of my uncle’s came to me like a vague murmuring:

“We are going up.”

“What do you mean?” I cried.

“Yes, we are going up⁠—up!”

I stretched out my arm. I touched the wall, and drew back my hand bleeding. We were ascending with extreme rapidity.

“The torch! The torch!” cried the Professor.

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