"
"Now those not quite up to Mont Blanc?" asked Ardan, hardly knowing what
to say.
"Here they are, about half a dozen of them: _Moretus_, _Theophilus_,
_Harpalus_, _Eratosthenes_, _Werner_, and _Piccolomini_," answered
Barbican as ready as a schoolboy reciting his lesson, and pointing them
out on the map as quickly as a compositor distributing his type.
"The next in rank?" asked Ardan, astounded at his friend's wonderful
memory.
"The next in rank," replied Barbican promptly, "are those about the size
of the Matterhorn, that is to say about 2-3/4 miles in height. They are
_Macrobius_, _Delambre_, and _Conon_. Come," he added, seeing Ardan
hesitating and at a loss what other question to ask, "don't you want to
know what lunar mountains are about the same height as the Peak of
Teneriffe? or as AEtna? or as Mount Washington? You need not be afraid of
puzzling me. I studied up the subject thoroughly, and therefore know all
about it."
"Oh! I could listen to you with delight all day long!" cried Ardan,
enthusiastically, though with some embarrassment, for he felt a twinge
of conscience in acting so falsely towards his beloved friend. "The fact
is," he went on, "such a rational conversation as the present, on such
an absorbing subject, with such a perfect master--"
"The Sun!" cried M'Nicholl starting up and cheering.
Pages:
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313