he rose in haste.

"Good-by, my boy." He kissed Pierre on the whiskers and then opened
the door.

Mme. Roland had not stirred, but sat with downcast eyes, very pale.
Her husband touched her arm:

"Come," he said, "we must make haste, we have not a minute to spare."

She pulled herself up, went to her son and offered him first one and
then another cheek of white wax which he kissed without saying a word.
Then he shook hands with Mme. Rosemilly and his brother, asking:

"And when is the wedding to be?"

"I do not know yet exactly. We will make it fit in with one of your
return voyages."

At last they were all out of the cabin, and up on deck among the crowd
of visitors, porters and sailors. The steam was snorting in the huge
belly of the vessel which seemed to quiver with impatience.

"Good-by," said Roland in a great bustle.

"Good-by," replied Pierre, standing on one of the landing-planks lying
between the deck of the _Lorraine_ and the quay. He shook hands all
round once more, and they were gone.

"Make haste, jump into the carriage," cried the father.

A fly was waiting for them and took them to the outer harbor, where
Papagris had the _Pearl_ in readiness to put out to sea.

There was not a breath of air; it was one of those crisp, still autumn
days, when the sheeny sea looks as cold and hard as polished steel.

Jean took one oar, the sailor seized the other and they pulled off. On
the breakwater, on the piers, even on the granite parapets, a crowd
stood packed, hustling and noisy, to see the _Lorraine_ come out. The
_Pearl_ glided down between these two waves of humanity and was soon
outside the mole.

Captain Beausire, seated between the two women, held the tiller, and
he said:

"You will see, we shall be close in her way ---- close."

And the two oarsmen pulled with all their might to get out as far as
possible. Suddenly Roland cried out:

"Here she comes! I see her masts and her two funnels! She is coming
out of the inner harbor."

"Cheerily, lads!" cried Beausire.

Mme. Roland took out her handkerchief and held it to her eyes.

Roland stood up, clinging to the mast, and answered:

"At this minute she is working round in the outer harbor. She is
standing still--now she moves again! She was taking the tow-rope on
board, no doubt. There she goes. Bravo! She is between the piers! Do
you hear the crowd shouting? Bravo! The _Neptune_ has her in tow. Now
I see her bows--here she comes--here