CHAPTER XLI 



CLOUDS 



TO finish his talk on lightning, the next morning 

 Uncle Paul told them about clouds. The occa- 

 sion, moreover, was very favorable. In one part of 

 the sky great white clouds like mountains of cotton 

 were piled up. The eye was delighted with the soft 

 outlines of that celestial wadding. 



" Vou remember, " he began, "all those fogs that 

 on damp autumn and winter mornings cover the 

 earth with a veil of gray smoke, hide the sun, and 

 prevent our seeing a few steps in front of us?" 



"Looking into the air, you could see something 

 lik- fine dust of water floating," said Claire; and 

 Jules added: 



"We played hide and seek with Einile in that kind 

 of damp smoke. We could not see each other a few 

 steps away." 



kk \\Y11," resumed Uncle Paul, "clouds and fog are 

 tin- same thinir; only fog spreads about us and shows 

 for what it is, gray, damp, cold; while clouds keep 

 more or less above us and take on, with distance, a 

 rich appearance. There ;ire some of da///linix white- 

 ness, like those you see over then : others of a red 

 color, or golden-hued, or like lire; still others of the 

 color of ashes, and others that arc Mack. The color 

 changes, too, from moment to moment. At sunset 



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