ut his heart felt numb, and his cold, stern manner kept the emotions
and excitement of those about him in check.

At last there had come a short respite. It was publicly announced that
owing to the currents the divers had had to suspend their work awhile,
but that salvage appliances from England and from Cherbourg were on
their way to Falaise, and that it was hoped by seven that evening active
operations would begin. With luck the _Neptune_ might be raised before
midnight.

Fortunate people blessed with optimistic natures were already planning a
banquet at which the crew of the _Neptune_ were to be entertained within
an hour of the rescue.

* * * * *

Jacques de Wissant rose from the massive First Empire table which formed
part of the fine suite of furniture presented by the great Napoleon
just a hundred years ago to the municipality of Falaise.

With bent head, his hands clasped behind him, the mayor began walking up
and down the long room.

Admiral de Saint Vilquier might now come at any moment, but the man
awaiting him had not yet made up his mind how to word what he had to
say--how much to tell, how much to conceal from, his wife's old friend.
He was only too well aware that if the desperate attempts which would
soon be made to raise the _Neptune_ were successful, and if its human
freight were rescued alive, the fact that there had been a woman on
board could not be concealed. Thousands would know to-night, and
millions to-morrow morning.

Not only would the amazing story provide newspaper readers all over the
world with a thrilling, unexpected piece of news, but the fact that
there had been a woman involved in the disaster would be perpetuated, as
long as our civilization endures, in every account of subsequent
accidents to submarine craft.

More intimately, vividly agonizing was the knowledge that the story, the
scandal, would be revived when there arose the all-important question of
a suitable marriage for Clairette or Jacqueline.

As he paced up and down the room, longing for and yet dreading the
coming of the Admiral, he visualized what would happen. He could almost
hear the whispered words: "Yes, dear friend, the girl is admirably
brought up, and has a large fortune, also she and your son have taken
quite a fancy for one another, but there is that very ugly story of the
mother! Don't you remember that she was with her lover in the submarine
_Neptune_? The citizens of F