out to them:

"Tumble yourselves overboard, rather, with your women and your little
ones." And his heart ached so with pity that he went away unable to
endure the sight.

He found his father, his mother, Jean, and Mme. Rosemilly waiting for
him in his cabin.

"So early!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," said Mme. Roland in a trembling voice. "We wanted to have a
little time to see you."

He looked at her. She was dressed all in black as if she were in
mourning, and he noticed that her hair, which only a month ago had
been gray, was now almost white. It was very difficult to find space
for four persons to sit down in the little room, and he himself got
onto his bed. The door was left open, and they could see a great crowd
hurrying by, as if it were a street on a holiday, for all the friends
of the passengers and a host of inquisitive visitors had invaded the
huge vessel. They pervaded the passages, the saloons, every corner of
the ship; and heads peered in at the doorway while a voice murmured
outside: "That is the doctor's cabin."

Then Pierre shut the door; but no sooner was he shut in with his own
party than he longed to open it again, for the bustle outside covered
their agitation and want of words.

Mme. Rosemilly at last felt she must speak.

"Very little air comes in through those little windows."

"Portholes," said Pierre. He showed her how thick the glass was, to
enable it to resist the most violent shocks, and took a long time
explaining the fastening. Roland presently asked: "And you have your
doctor's shop here?"

The doctor opened a cupboard and displayed an array of phials ticketed
with Latin names on white paper labels. He took one out and enumerated
the properties of its contents; then a second and a third, a perfect
lecture on therapeutics, to which they all listened with great
attention. Roland, shaking his head, said again and again: "How very
interesting." There was a tap at the door.

"Come in," said Pierre, and Captain Beausire appeared.

"I am late," he said as he shook hands, "I did not want to be in the
way." He too sat down on the bed and silence fell once more.

Suddenly the captain pricked his ears. He could hear orders being
given, and he said:

"It is time for us to be off if we mean to get on board the _Pearl_ to
see you once more outside, and bid you good-by out on the open sea."

Old Roland was very eager about this, to impress the voyagers on board
the _Lorraine_, no doubt, and