"George Griffith - From Pole to Pole" - читать интересную книгу автора (Griffith George)

Mr. Arthur Princeps had very good reasons for thus "going blind" on a project of which he knew nothing
save that it probably meant a sort of scientific gamble to the tune of several thousands of pounds. He had
had the good fortune to sit under the Professor when he was a student at, the Royal School of Mines,
and being possessed of that rarest of all gifts, an intuitive imagination, he had seen vast possibilities
through the meshes of the verbal network of the Professor's lectures.

Further, the kindly Fates had blessed him with a twofold dowry. He had a keen and insatiable thirst for
that kind of knowledge which is satisfied only by the demonstration of hard facts. He was a student of
physical science simply because he couldn't help it; and his grandfather had left him groundrents in
London, Birmingham, and Manchester, and coal and iron mines in half-adozen counties, which produced
an almost preposterous income.

At the same time, he had inherited from his mother and his grandmother that kind of intellect which
enabled him to look upon all this wealth as merely a means to an end.

Later on, Profeesor Haffkin had been his examiner in Applied Mathematics at London University, and he
had done such an astonishing paper that he had come to him after he had taken his D.Sc. degree and
asked him in brief but pregnant words for the favour of his personal acquaintance. This had led to an
intellectual intimacy which not only proved satisfactory from the social and scientific points of view, but
also materialised on many profitable patents.

The Professor was a man rich in ideas, but comparatively poor in money. Arthur Princeps had both ideas
and money, and as a result of this conjunction of personalities the man of science had made thousands
out of his inventions, while the scientific man of business had made tens of thousands by exploiting them;
and that is how matters stood between them on this particular evening when they were dining tete-a-tete
in the Professor's house in Russell Square.

When dinner was over, the Professor got up and said---

"Bring your cigar up into the study, Mr. Princeps. I want a pipe, and I can talk more comfortably there
than here. Besides, I've something to show you."

"All right, Professor; but if you're going to have a pipe, I'll do the same. One can think better with a pipe
than a cigar. It takes too much attention."

He tossed the half of his Muria into the grate and followed the Professor up to his sanctum, which was
half study, half laboratory, and withal a very comfortable apartment. There was a bright wood-and-coal
fire burning in the old-fashioned grate, and on either side of the hearth there was a nice, deep, cosy
armchair.

"Now, Mr. Princeps," said the Professor, when they were seated, "I am going to ask you to believe
something which I dare say you will think impossible."

"My dear sir, if you think it possible, that is quite enough for me," replied Princeps. "What is it?"

The Professor took a long pull at his pipe, and then, turning his head so that his eyes met his guest's, he
replied--

"It's a journey through the centre of the earth."