and just now, when Gallia was entering the narrow zone of
shooting-stars, and new discoveries might have been within his reach,
his loss made him more inconsolable than ever. In sheer desperation, he
endeavored to increase the intensity of his vision by applying to his
eyes some belladonna which he found in the _Dobryna's_ medicine chest;
with heroic fortitude he endured the tortures of the experiment, and
gazed up into the sky until he was nearly blind. But all in vain; not a
single fresh discovery rewarded his sufferings.

No one was quite exempt from the feverish excitement which prevailed
during the last days of December. Lieutenant Procope superintended his
final arrangements. The two low masts of the schooner had been erected
firmly on the shore, and formed supports for the montgolfier, which had
been duly covered with the netting, and was ready at any moment to
be inflated. The car was close at hand. Some inflated skins had been
attached to its sides, so that the balloon might float for a time, in
the event of its descending in the sea at a short distance from the
shore. If unfortunately, it should come down in mid-ocean, nothing but
the happy chance of some passing vessel could save them all from the
certain fate of being drowned.

The 31st came. Twenty-four hours hence and the balloon, with its large
living freight, would be high in the air. The atmosphere was less
buoyant than that of the earth, but no difficulty in ascending was to be
apprehended.

Gallia was now within 96,000,000 miles of the sun, consequently not much
more than 4,000,000 miles from the earth; and this interval was being
diminished at the rate of nearly 208,000 miles an hour, the speed of the
earth being about 70,000 miles, that of the comet being little less than
138,000 miles an hour.

It was determined to make the start at two o'clock, three-quarters of
an hour, or, to speak correctly 42 minutes 35.6 seconds, before the time
predicted by the professor as the instant of collision. The modified
rotation of the comet caused it to be daylight at the time.

An hour previously the balloon was inflated with perfect success,
and the car was securely attached to the network. It only awaited the
stowage of the passengers.

Isaac Hakkabut was the first to take his place in the car. But scarcely
had he done so, when Servadac noticed that his waist was encompassed
by an enormous girdle that bulged out to a very extraordinary extent.
"What's all