ito
himself. In that case, not only life, but fortune, would be saved; and
the accident of the Douvres, by hastening the conclusion, by dispensing
with the necessity for concealment in the haunted house, and by bringing
the adventure to a denouement at sea, would be turned into a happy
incident.

All his original confidence of success returned fanatically to his
sombre mind.

It is remarkable how easily knaves are persuaded that they deserve to
succeed.

There was but one course to take.

The Durande, entangled among the rocks, necessarily mingled her outline
with them, and confounded herself with their irregular shapes, among
which she formed only one more mass of lines. Thus become indistinct and
lost, she would not suffice, in the little light which remained, to
attract the attention of the crew of the vessel which was approaching.

But a human form standing up, black against the pale twilight of the
sky, upon "the Man Rock," and making signs of distress, would doubtless
be perceived, and the cutter would then send a boat to take the
shipwrecked man aboard.

"The Man" was only two hundred fathoms off. To reach it by swimming was
simple, to climb it easy.

There was not a minute to lose.

The bows of the Durande being low between the rocks, it was from the
height of the poop where Clubin stood that he had to jump into the sea.
He began by taking a sounding, and discovered that there was great depth
just under the stern of the wrecked vessel. The microscopic shells of
foraminifera which the adhesive matter on the lead-line brought up were
intact, indicating the presence of very hollow caves under the rocks, in
which the water was tranquil, however great the agitation of the
surface.

He undressed, leaving his clothing on the deck. He knew that he would be
able to get clothing when aboard the cutter.

He retained nothing but his leather belt.

As soon as he was stripped he placed his hand upon this belt, buckled it
more securely, felt for the iron tobacco-box, took a rapid survey in the
direction which he would have to follow among the breakers and the waves
to gain "the Man Rock;" then precipitating himself head first, he
plunged into the sea.

As he dived from a height, he plunged heavily.

He sank deep in the water, touched the bottom, skirted for a moment the
submarine rocks, then struck out to regain the surface.

At that moment he felt himself seized by one foot.

BOOK VII

THE DANGER