with the cylinders. It seems to me that the atmosphere already
grows somewhat more oppressive."



Chapter III

SUBMERGED


The chamber which was destined to be the scene of our
unforgettable experience was a charmingly feminine sitting-room,
some fourteen or sixteen feet square. At the end of it, divided
by a curtain of red velvet, was a small apartment which formed
the Professor's dressing-room. This in turn opened into a large
bedroom. The curtain was still hanging, but the boudoir and
dressing-room could be taken as one chamber for the purposes of
our experiment. One door and the window frame had been plastered
round with varnished paper so as to be practically sealed. Above
the other door, which opened on to the landing, there hung a
fanlight which could be drawn by a cord when some ventilation
became absolutely necessary. A large shrub in a tub stood in
each corner.

"How to get rid of our excessive carbon dioxide without unduly
wasting our oxygen is a delicate and vital question," said
Challenger, looking round him after the five iron tubes had been
laid side by side against the wall. "With longer time for
preparation I could have brought the whole concentrated force of
my intelligence to bear more fully upon the problem, but as it