, which
represented an enormous sum? Where did the Captain gather this gold
from? and what was he going to do with it?

I did not say one word. I looked. Captain Nemo took the ingots one by
one, and arranged them methodically in the chest, which he filled
entirely. I estimated the contents at more than 4,000 lb. weight of
gold, that is to say, nearly L200,000.

The chest was securely fastened, and the Captain wrote an address on
the lid, in characters which must have belonged to Modern Greece.

This done, Captain Nemo pressed a knob, the wire of which communicated
with the quarters of the crew. Four men appeared, and, not without
some trouble, pushed the chest out of the saloon. Then I heard them
hoisting it up the iron staircase by means of pulleys.

At that moment, Captain Nemo turned to me.

"And you were saying, sir?" said he.

"I was saying nothing, Captain."

"Then, sir, if you will allow me, I will wish you good night."

Whereupon he turned and left the saloon.

I returned to my room much troubled, as one may believe. I vainly
tried to sleep--I sought the connecting link between the apparition of
the diver and the chest filled with gold. Soon, I felt by certain
movements of pitching and tossing that the Nautilus was leaving the
depths and returning to the surface.

Then I heard steps upon the platform; and I knew they were unfastening
the pinnace and launching it upon the waves. For one instant it struck
the side of the Nautilus, then all noise ceased.

Two hours after, the same noise, the same going and coming was renewed;
the boat was hoisted on board, replaced in its socket, and the Nautilus
again plunged under the waves.

So these millions had been transported to their address. To what point
of the continent? Who was Captain Nemo's correspondent?

The next day I related to Conseil and the Canadian the events of the
night, which had excited my curiosity to the highest degree. My
companions were not less surprised than myself.

"But where does he take his millions to?" asked Ned Land.

To that there was no possible answer. I returned to the saloon after
having breakfast and set to work. Till five o'clock in the evening I
employed myself in arranging my notes. At that moment--(ought I to
attribute it to some peculiar idiosyncrasy)--I felt so great a heat
that I was obliged to take off my coat. It was strange, for we were
under low latitudes; and even then the Nautilus, submerged