“It is all right, gentlemen,” she said; “there is nothing to be afraid of. I am going on with the investigation.”
Down, down, down went the light, and, telescope in hand, she stood close to the shining edge of the apparent shaft.
“Presently,” Clewe said, “you will see the end of the shaft which my Artesian ray is making; then you will perceive a vast expanse of lighted nothingness; that is the great cleft in the diamond which I described to you. In this, apparently suspended in light, you will notice the broken conical end of an enormous iron shell, the shell which made the real tunnel down which I descended in the car.”
At this she turned around and looked at him. Even into her strong mind the sharp edge of distrust began to insert itself.
“Look!” said he.
She looked through her telescope. There was the cave of light; there was the shattered end of the shell.
The hands which held the telescope began to tremble. Quickly Clewe drew her away.
“Now,” said he, “do you believe?”
For a few moments she could not speak, and then she whispered, “I believe that I have seen what you have told me I should see.”
Now succeeded a period of intense excitement, such as was perhaps never before known in an assembly of scientific people. One by one, each person was led by Clewe inside the screen and shown the magical shaft of light. Each received the revelation according to his nature. Some were dumfounded and knew not what to think, others suspected all sorts of tricks, especially with the telescopes, but a well-known optician, who by Clewe's request had brought a telescope of his own, quickly disproved all suspicions of this kind. Many could not help doubting what they had seen, but it was impossible for them to formulate their doubts, with that wonderful shaft of light still present to their mental visions.