“Permit me to ask you one more question,” he said. “Can you tell me what is the nature of the soil of Gallia?”
“Yes, I can answer that. And in this matter I do not think your impertinent orderly will venture to put Montmartre into the comparison. This soil is of a substance not unknown upon the earth.” And speaking very slowly, the professor said: “It contains 70 per cent. of tellurium, and 30 per cent. of gold.”
Servadac uttered an exclamation of surprise.
“And the sum of the specific gravities of these two substances is 10, precisely the number that represents Gallia’s density.”
“A comet of gold!” ejaculated the captain.
“Yes; a realization of what the illustrious Maupertuis has already deemed probable,” replied the astronomer.
“If Gallia, then, should ever become attached to the earth, might it not bring about an important revolution in all monetary affairs?” inquired the count.
“No doubt about it!” said Rosette, with manifest satisfaction. “It would supply the world with about 246,000 trillions of francs.”
“It would make gold about as cheap as dirt, I suppose,” said Servadac.
The last observation, however, was entirely lost upon the professor, who had left the hall with an air almost majestic, and was already on his way to the observatory.