At length she approached me and said, waving her hand all round: "What is beyond the mountains over there, beyond the cities on that side--beyond the world ?" "Water, only water.

Did I not tell you ?" I returned stoutly; for I had, of course, sunk the Isthmus of Panama beneath the sea.
"Water! All round ?" she persisted.
"Yes." "Water, and no beyond?
Only water--always water ?" I could no longer adhere to so gross a lie.

She was too intelligent, and I loved her too much.

Standing up, I pointed to distant mountains and isolated peaks.
"Look at those peaks," I said.

"It is like that with the world--this world we are standing on.