"Souvenir de Marston!" growled M'Nicholl.
"These phenomena," continued Barbican, heedless of interruption and his voice betraying a slight glow of excitement, "these phenomena going on without interruption from month to month, from year to year, from age to age, from eon to eon, have finally convinced me that—what?" he asked his hearers, interrupting himself suddenly.
—"That the existence at the present time—" answered M'Nicholl.
—"Of either animal or vegetable life—" interrupted Ardan.
—"In the Moon is hardly possible!" cried both in one voice.
"Besides?" asked Barbican: "even if there is any life—?"
—"That to live on the dark side would be much more inconvenient than on the light side!" cried M'Nicholl promptly.
—"That there is no choice between them!" cried Ardan just as ready. "For my part, I should think a residence on Mt. Erebus or in Grinnell Land a terrestrial paradise in comparison to either. The Earth shine might illuminate the light side of the Moon a little during the long night, but for any practical advantage towards heat or life, it would be perfectly useless!"
"But there is another serious difference between the two sides," said Barbican, "in addition to those enumerated. The dark side is actually more troubled with excessive variations of temperature than the light one."
"That assertion of our worthy President," interrupted Ardan, "with all possible respect for his superior knowledge, I am disposed to question."