Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/334

 with profound respect. The earth was thrown upon the mortal remains, and the great fragments of rock were disposed above like a tombstone.

The doctor still remained motionless and lost in thought. He paid no attention to the summons of his companions, nor did he return with them to seek shelter from the noon-tide heat.

"What are you thinking of, Samuel?" inquired Kennedy.

"Of the curious contrasts nature presents and the extraordinary effect of chance. Do you know in what ground this man of self-denial and simplicity has been buried?"

"What do you mean, Samuel?"

"This priest who had vowed himself to poverty now rests in a gold mine!"

"A gold mine!" exclaimed Kennedy and Joe.

"Yes, a gold mine!" replied the doctor. "These stones, which you trample upon, as upon stones of no value, are of great mineral purity."

"Impossible, impossible!" repeated Joe.

"You will not have to search long amongst these fissures of the schist without finding some large nuggets," said the doctor.

Joe threw himself at once upon the scattered fragments, and Kennedy was not long in following his example.

"Steady, my brave Joe," said his master.

"Oh! sir, you speak about it very calmly."

"What? a philosopher of your stamp"

"Ah! sir, yours is the only philosophy!"

"Let us see; reflect a little. What good will all this gold do; we cannot carry it away?"

"We cannot carry it away! Why not, for instance?"

"It is too heavy for our car. I was hesitating whether I should tell you at all, for fear of exciting your regret."

"What!" cried Joe, "abandon all this treasure— a fortune to us—our own—abandon that!"

"Take care, take care, my friend. Have you caught the gold fever? Has not yonder dead body, which we came here to bury, taught you the vanity of all earthly things?"

"That is all very true," replied Joe; "but there is the gold after all. Mr. Kennedy, will you not aid me in collecting a few of these millions?"