At the surface, Dansaert, on arriving, perceived Négrel running up. By some fatality, Madame Hennebeau had that morning delayed him on rising, turning over the leaves of catalogues for the purchase of wedding presents. It was ten o'clock.
"Well! what's happening, then?" he shouted from afar.
"The pit is ruined," replied the head captain.
And he described the catastrophe in a few stammered words, while the engineer incredulously shrugged his shoulders. What! could tubbing be demolished like that? They were exaggerating; he would make an examination.
"I suppose no one has been left at the bottom?"
Dansaert was confused. No, no one; at least, so he hoped. But some of the men might have been delayed.
"But," said Négrel, "what in the name of creation have you come up for, then? You can't
