frogs plunged into boiling water. But we passed and fell, still crashing
upon no obstruction; and thought pursued us, tailing further behind.

"It was the passage of the eternal night--frozen, self-contained; awful
as any fancied darkness that is without one tradition of a star. Yet,
struggling hereafter to, in some shadowy sense, renew my feelings of the
moment, it seemed to me that I had not fallen through darkness at all;
but rather that the friction of descent had kindled an inner radiance in
me that was independent of the vision of the eyes, and full of promise of
a sudden illumination of the soul.

"Now, after falling what depths God knows, I become numbly aware of a
little griding sensation at my back, that communicated a whistling small
vibration to my whole frame. This intensified, became more pronounced.
Perceptibly, in that magnificent refinement of speed, our enormous pace I
felt to decrease ever so little. Still we had so far outstripped
intelligence as that I was incapable of considering the cause of the
change.

"Suddenly, for the first time, pain made itself known; and immediately
reason, plunging from above, overtook me, and I could think.

"Then it was I became conscious that, instead of falling, we were
rising, rising with immense swiftness, but at a pace that momently
slackened--rising, slipping over ice and in contact with it,

"The muscles of my arms, clasped still about Fidèle, involuntarily
swelled to her. My God! there was a tiny answering pressure. I could have
screamed with joy; but physical anguish overmastered me. My back seemed
bursting into flame.