"I must have air," I murmured. "I am roasting here; it will drive me
mad."
I had to see someone, no matter whom. Mechanically, I walked toward
the library.
I found M. Le Mesge in a transport of delirious joy. The Professor was
engaged in opening an enormous bale, carefully sewed in a brown
blanket.
"You come at a good time, sir," he cried, on seeing me enter. "The
magazines have just arrived."
He dashed about in feverish haste. Presently a stream of pamphlets and
magazines, blue, green, yellow and salmon, was bursting from an
opening in the bale.
"Splendid, splendid!" he cried, dancing with joy. "Not too late,
either; here are the numbers for October fifteenth. We must give a
vote of thanks to good Ameur."
His good spirits were contagious.
"There is a good Turkish merchant who subscribes to all the
interesting magazines of the two continents. He sends them on by
Rhadamès to a destination which he little suspects. Ah, here are the
French ones."