ward, couldn't be better! It is not at all
impossible that the decent man whom you see over there, knocking a
little ball into a little hole, may become the father-in-law of Simon
Dubosc. A mere nothing would do the trick: some tremendous stupendous
event which would change the face of the earth. That's all."

"Events of that sort are rare, Simon," said Rolleston.

"Then, my dear Rolleston, things must happen as Isabel and I have
decided."

"And that is?"

Simon did not reply. He had caught sight of Isabel, who was leaving
the club-house.

On seeing him, she stopped short. She stood some twenty paces away,
grave and smiling. And in the glance which they exchanged there was
all the tenderness, devotion, happiness and certainty that two young
people, can promise each other on the threshold of life.

CHAPTER II

THE CROSSING

Next day, at Newhaven, Simon Dubosc learnt that, at about six o'clock
on the previous evening, a fishing-smack with a crew of eight hands
had foundered in sight of Seaford. The cyclone had been seen from the
shore.

"Well, captain," asked Simon, who happened to know the first officer
of the boat which was about to cross that day, having met him in
Dieppe, "well captain, what do you make of it? More wrecks! Don't you
think things are beginning to get alarming?"

"It looks like it, worse luck!" replied the captain. "Fifteen
passengers have refused to come on board. They're frightened. Yet,
after all, one has to take chances. . . ."

"Chances which keep on recurring, captain, and over the whole of the
Channel just now. . . ."

"M. Dubosc, if you take the whole of the Channel, you will probably
find several hundred craft afloat at one time. Each of them runs a
risk, but you'll admit the risk is small."

"Was the crossing good last night?" asked Simon, thinking of his
friend Rolleston.

"Very good, both ways, and so will ours be. The _Queen Mary_ is a fast
boat; she does the sixty-four miles in just under two hours. We shall
leave and we shall arrive; you may be sure of that, M. Dubosc."

The captain's confidence, while reassuring Simon, did not completely
allay the fears which would not even have entered his mind in ordinary
times. He selected two cabins separated by a state-room. Then, as he
still had twenty-five minutes to wait, he repaired to the harbour
station.

There he found people greatly excited. At the booking-office, at the
refreshment-bar and in the waiting-room