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It was a matter of debate that night whether the professor should be



invited to join the party; it was scarcely likely that he would care

to come, but, on the whole, it was felt to be advisable to ask him.



At first Captain Servadac thought of going in person with

the invitation; but, remembering Rosette's dislike to visitors,



he altered his mind, and sent young Pablo up to the observatory

with a formal note, requesting the pleasure of Professor Rosette's



company at the New Year's _fete_.

Pablo was soon back, bringing no answer except that the professor



had told him that "to-day was the l25th of June, and that to-morrow

would be the 1st of July."



Consequently, Servadac and the count took it for granted that Palmyrin Rosette

declined their invitation.



An hour after sunrise on New Year's Day, Frenchmen, Russians, Spaniards,

and little Nina, as the representative of Italy, sat down to a



feast such as never before had been seen in Gallia. Ben Zoof

and the Russian cook had quite surpassed themselves. The wines,



part of the _Dobryna's_ stores, were of excellent quality.

Those of the vintages of France and Spain were drunk in toasting



their respective countries, and even Russia was honored in a

similar way by means of a few bottles of kummel. The company was



more than contented--it was as jovial as Ben Zoof could desire;

and the ringing cheers that followed the great toast of the day--"A



happy return to our Mother Earth," must fairly have startled

the professor in the silence of his observatory.



The _dejeuner_ over, there still remained three hours of daylight.

The sun was approaching the zenith, but so dim and enfeebled were his rays



that they were very unlike what had produced the wines of Bordeaux and

Burgundy which they had just been enjoying, and it was necessary for all,



before starting upon an excursion that would last over nightfall,

to envelop themselves in the thickest of clothing.



Full of spirits, the party left the Hive, and chattering and

singing as they went, made their way down to the frozen shore,



where they fastened on their skates. Once upon the ice,

everyone followed his own fancy, and some singly, some in groups,



scattered themselves in all directions. Captain Servadac,

the count, and the lieutenant were generally seen together.



Negrete and the Spaniards, now masters of their novel exercise,

wandered fleetly and gracefullyhither and thither,



occasionally being out of sight completely. The Russian sailors,

following a northern custom, skated in file, maintaining their



rank by means of a long pole passed under their right arms,

and in this way they described a trackway of singular regularity.



The two children, blithe as birds, flitted about, now singly,

now arm-in-arm, now joining the captain's party, now making a short



peregrination by themselves, but always full of life and spirit.

As for Ben Zoof, he was here, there, and everywhere,



his imperturbable good temper ensuring him a smile of welcome

whenever he appeared.



Thus coursing rapidly over the icy plain, the whole party had

soon exceeded the line that made the horizon from the shore.



First, the rocks of the coast were lost to view; then the white crests

of the cliffs were no longer to be seen; and at last, the summit



of the volcano, with its corona of vapor, was entirely out of sight.

Occasionally the skaters were obliged to stop to recover their breath,



but, fearful of frost-bite, they almost instantly resumed their exercise,

and proceeded nearly as far as Gourbi Island before they thought



about retracing their course.

But night was coming on, and the sun was already sinking in the east with the



rapidity to which the residents on Gallia were by this time well accustomed.

The sunset upon this contractedhorizon was very remarkable.






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