We are as infallibly
lost by an ellipse as by a parabola."
"Well, there was one thing I never could reconcile myself to in the
whole arrangement," replied Ardan cheerfully; "and that was destruction
by an open curve. Safe from that, I could say, 'Fate, do your worst!'
Besides, I don't believe in the infallibility of your ellipsic. It may
prove just as unreliable as the hyperbola. And it is no harm to hope
that it may!"
From present appearances there was very little to justify Ardan's hope.
Barbican's theory of the elliptic orbit was unfortunately too well
grounded to allow a single reasonable doubt to be expressed regarding
the Projectile's fate. It was to gravitate for ever around the Moon--a
sub-satellite. It was a new born individual in the astral universe, a
microcosm, a little world in itself, containing, however, only three
inhabitants and even these destined to perish pretty soon for want of
air. Our travellers, therefore, had no particular reason for rejoicing
over the new destiny reserved for the Projectile in obedience to the
inexorable laws of the centripetal and centrifugal forces. They were
soon, it is true, to have the opportunity of beholding once more the
illuminated face of the Moon.
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