Admiral burst into speech, addressing himself, rather than
the silent man by his side.

"The devil of it is," he exclaimed, "that the nearest salvage appliances
are at Cherbourg! Thank God, the Ministry of Marine are alone
responsible for that blunder. Dupre and his comrades have, it seems,
thirty-six hours' supply of oxygen--if, indeed, they are still living,
which I feel tempted to hope they are not. You see, Monsieur de Wissant,
I was at Bizerta when the _Lutin_ sank. A man doesn't want to remember
two such incidents in his career. One is quite bad enough!"

"I suppose it isn't yet known how far the _Neptune_ is injured?"
inquired the Mayor of Falaise.

But he spoke mechanically; he was not really thinking of what he was
saying. His inner and real self were still steeped in that strange
mingled feeling of shame and relief--shame that he should have suspected
his wife, exultant relief that his jealousy should have been so entirely
unfounded.

"No, as usual no one knows exactly what did happen. But we shall learn
something of that presently. The divers are on their way. But--but even
if the craft did sustain no injury, what can they do? Ants might as well
attempt to pierce a cannon-ball"--he shrugged his shoulders, oppressed
by the vision his homely simile had conjured up.

And then--for no particular reason, save that his wife Claire was very
present to him--Jacques de Wissant bethought himself that it was most
unlikely that any tidings of the accident could yet have reached the
Chalet des Dunes, the lonely villa on the shore where Claire was now
lunching with her sister. But at any moment some casual visitor from the
town might come out there with the sad news. He told himself uneasily
that it would be well, if possible, to save his wife from such a shock.
After all, Claire and that excellent Commander Dupre had been good
friends--so much must be admitted, nay, now he was eager to admit it.

Jacques de Wissant touched the older man on the arm.

"I should be most grateful, Admiral, for the loan of your motor-car. I
have just remembered that I ought to go home for an hour. This terrible
affair made me forget it; but I shall not be long--indeed, I must soon
be back, for there will be all sorts of arrangements to be made at the
town hall. Of course we shall be besieged with inquiries, with messages
from Paris, with telegrams----"

"My car, monsieur, is entirely at your disposal."

The Admiral could not help fee