Chapter 24. The Coral Realm

           ThenextdayIwokewithmyheadsingularlyclear.Tomygreatsurprise,Iwasinmyownroom.Mycompanions,nodoubt,hadbeenreinstatedintheircabin,withouthavingperceiveditanymorethanI.OfwhathadpassedduringthenighttheywereasignorantasIwas,andtopenetratethismysteryIonlyreckoneduponthechancesofthefuture.

           Ithenthoughtofquittingmyroom.WasIfreeagainoraprisoner?Quitefree.Iopenedthedoor,wenttothehalf-deck,wentupthecentralstairs.Thepanels,shuttheeveningbefore,wereopen.Iwentontotheplatform.

           NedLandandConseilwaitedthereforme.Iquestionedthem;theyknewnothing.Lostinaheavysleepinwhichtheyhadbeentotallyunconscious,theyhadbeenastonishedatfindingthemselvesintheircabin.

           AsfortheNautilus,itseemedquietandmysteriousasever.Itfloatedonthesurfaceofthewavesatamoderatepace.Nothingseemedchangedonboard.

           Thesecondlieutenantthencameontotheplatform,andgavetheusualorderbelow.

           AsforCaptainNemo,hedidnotappear.

           Ofthepeopleonboard,Ionlysawtheimpassivesteward,whoservedmewithhisusualdumbregularity.

           Abouttwoo’clock,Iwasinthedrawing-room,busiedinarrangingmynotes,whentheCaptainopenedthedoorandappeared.Ibowed.Hemadeaslightinclinationinreturn,withoutspeaking.