Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/22

2 through the center of the earth, this hole to terminate at the city of New York. Am I right thus far?"

"Perfectly."

"Into this hole you intend to drop merchandise, baggage, and what not, and let them fall through to the antipodes. This, at least, is the way I understand the matter."

"Yes," said Dr. Giles, tranquilly, "that is my idea in a nutshell. Now tell me what objections you find to it."

"What objections? Only one, namely, that the entire plan is utterly impossible," replied James, conclusively.

"My dear friend," said the doctor, "do you know what the word 'impossible' means? It means simply something that has not yet been done. Everything is impossible until some one does it, and then it becomes, on the contrary, astonishingly easy. If we take any other definition for this word, we must admit that there is only one thing that is impossible."

"And that is?"

"And that is, to know that anything is impossible. But tell me, James, what it is you find difficult in my plan."