George Roux: The Chase of the Golden Meteor — Spy Scene, c.1908

An Edwardian reader, peering at this shadowy illustration by the pen of George Roux, would have felt the prickling thrill of conspiracy and clandestine intrigue — the very essence of Jules Verne's scientific adventure. A cloaked figure crouches furtively through an open doorway while a seated man, deep in brooding thought, is served by an alarmed domestic in a richly appointed dining room. An overturned chair punctuates the scene's sudden tension, hinting at flight or pursuit tied to the mysterious cosmic object at the story's heart.