Miette, astonished at the effect which she had thus produced, looked at her friend Paul, who remained silent, but very attentive.
"Well, Paul," said she, "is not that certain?"
"Yes," answered Paul.
"Hold," returned Monsieur Roger. "I am going to show you an example still more convincing of the resistance of the air,—only I must have a pair of scissors; and if Miss Miette will have the kindness to——"
Miss Miette looked again at Monsieur Roger with a singular air. None the less, she ran off in search of the scissors. Then Monsieur Roger pulled from his pocket a coin, and with the aid of the scissors cut a round bit of paper, a little smaller than the coin. That done, he placed the circular bit of paper flat upon the coin, in such a manner that it did not overlap, and asked Miss Miette to take the coin between her thumb and her finger.
"Now," said he, "let it all fall."
Miette opened her fingers, and the coin upon which he had placed the bit of paper fell. Coin and paper reached the ground at the same time.
"Why," asked Monsieur Roger, "does the paper reach the ground as soon as the coin?"
And as Miette hesitated to answer, Monsieur Roger continued:
"Because the fall of the bit of paper was not interfered with by the resistance of the air."