"I should wait," said the Major, just as if he had said,
"I should not wait."

Paganel spoke again at length, and said:

"My dear Glenarvan, where do you mean to touch next?"

"At Concepcion."

"Plague it! That is a long way out of the road to India."

"Not it! From the moment you pass Cape Horn, you are getting
nearer to it."

"I doubt it much."

"Beside," resumed Lord Glenarvan, with perfect gravity,
"when people are going to the Indies it doesn't matter much
whether it is to the East or West."

"What! it does not matter much?"

"Without taking into account the fact that the inhabitants
of the Pampas in Patagonia are as much Indians as the natives
of the Punjaub."

"Well done, my Lord. That's a reason that would never have
entered my head!"

"And then, my dear Paganel, you can gain the gold medal anyway.