But no one made any remark. This suspension in the abyss, over the unknown void, paralysed their tongues and almost their power of thought.
"The second gallery," said the manager again as they passed another yawning hole. And thus he continued till they came to the ninth. There they heard the sound of voices and saw that the gallery was lighted up.
"We shall take our luncheon here. But first we will go down to the eleventh gallery to see the works."
When they had gone past the tenth, he shouted as loud as he could:
"Are the brakes on?"
And a voice from below replied:
"No!"
"Put them on at once," he called down.
"It cannot be done," was the answer.
"What, why? The brakes, I say; put on the brakes."