He raised his hand to the company, asking them to keep still; then he handed Professor Tippengray a stick.
"Take this," he said, "and strike that disk of light; you will find it as solid ground as that you stand on." She did so.
"It is solid!" she gasped; "but where is the end of the stick ?" He turned off the light; there was the end of the stick, and there was the little patch of sandy gravel, which he stepped upon, stamping heavily as he did so.

He then retired outside the screen.

Professor Tippengray turned to the audience.
"It is all right, gentlemen," she said; "there is nothing to be afraid of.

I am going on with the investigation." Down, down, down went the light, and, telescope in hand, she stood close to the shining edge of the apparent shaft.
"Presently," Clewe said, "you will see the end of the shaft which my Artesian ray is making; then you will perceive a vast expanse of lighted nothingness; that is the great cleft in the diamond which I described to you.

In this, apparently suspended in light, you will notice the broken conical end of an enormous iron shell, the shell which made the real tunnel down which I descended in the car." At this she turned around and looked at him.