it; it will help to reassure you that the things about us are
real."

Margaret was silent for a few moments, and then, approaching
Roland, she took him by both hands. "You have succeeded," said
she; "you are the greatest discoverer of this age!"

"My dear Margaret," he interrupted, quickly, "do not let us talk
in that way; we have only just begun to work. Above all things,
do not let us get excited. If everything works properly, it will
not be long before I can send the Artesian ray down into depths
with which I am not acquainted--how far I do not know--but we
must wait and see what is the utmost we can do. When we have
reached that point, it will be in order to hoist our flags and
blow our trumpets. I hope it will not be long before the light
descends so deep that we shall be obliged to use a telescope."

"And will it not be possible, Roland," Margaret said, earnestly,
"that we shall ever look down into the earth together? When the
light gets beyond the depth to which people have dug and bored, I
shall never want to stand there alone behind the screen and see
what next shall show itself."

"That screen is an awkward affair," said Roland. "Perhaps I may
think of a method by which it can be done away with, and by which
we can stand side by side and look down as far into the depths of
the earth as our Artesian ray can be induced to bore."