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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea — Chapter 29 — Page 8

From whence came this precious metal, 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 lbs. weight of gold, that is to say, nearly £200,000. 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 sleepI 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.