You can also easily remark for yourself that the floor of the Projectile is turning away more and more from the lunar surface.

From this I conclude quite confidently, and I see that the Captain agrees with me, that all danger of death from intense heat, though decidedly alarming ten minutes ago, is over for the present and, for some time at least, it may be dismissed from further consideration." "I'm not very sorry for it," said Ardan cheerfully; "neither to be baked like a pie in an oven nor roasted like a fat goose before a fire is the kind of death I should like to die of." "Yet from such a death you would suffer no more than your friends the Selenites are exposed to every day of their lives," said the Captain, evidently determined on getting up an argument.
"I understand the full bearing of your allusion, my dear Captain," replied Ardan quickly, but not at all in a tone showing that he was disposed to second M'Nicholl's expectations.
He was, in fact, fast losing all his old habits of positivism.

Latterly he had seen much, but he had reflected more.

The deeper he had reflected, the more inclined he had become to accept the conclusion that the less he knew.

Hence he had decided that if M'Nicholl wanted an argument it should not be with him.