"
"Only one?" said the doctor.
"I think there was only one I did not know in the least."
"Can you direct me to it?"
"You said something about an ocean of air in a state — what
state?"
"Incandescence?"
"That was it."
"That is a state where it gives out white heat."
"I thought everything at the sun must be on fire," said Daisy,
looking meditatively at the doctor.
"You see you were mistaken. It has only a covering of clouds
of fire — so to speak."
"But it must be very hot there."
"It is pretty hot _here_," said the doctor, shrugging his
shoulders, — "ninety five millions of miles away; so I do not
see that we can avoid your conclusion."
"How much is ninety five millions?"
"I am sure I don't know," said Dr. Sandford, gravely. "After I
have gone as far as a million or so, I get tired."
"But I do not know much about arithmetic," said Daisy, humbly.
"Mamma has not wanted me to study. I don't know how much one
million is."
"Arithmetic does not help one on a journey, Miss Daisy," said
the doctor, pleasantly. "Counting the miles did not comfort me
to-day. But I can tell you this. If you and I were to set off
on a railway train, straight for the sun, and go at the rate
of thirty-two miles an hour, — you know that is pretty fast
travelling?"
"How fast do we go on the cars from here to New York?"
"Thirty miles an hour.
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