Chapter 14. The Black Current

           Thenextdaywasthe9thofNovember.Iawokeafteralongsleepoftwelvehours.Conseilcame,accordingtocustom,toknow"howIpassedthenight,"andtoofferhisservices.HehadlefthisfriendtheCanadiansleepinglikeamanwhohadneverdoneanythingelseallhislife.Ilettheworthyfellowchatterashepleased,withoutcaringtoanswerhim.IwaspreoccupiedbytheabsenceoftheCaptainduringoursittingofthedaybefore,andhopingtoseehimto-day.

           AssoonasIwasdressedIwentintothesaloon.Itwasdeserted.Iplungedintothestudyoftheshelltreasureshiddenbehindtheglasses.

           ThewholedaypassedwithoutmybeinghonouredbyavisitfromCaptainNemo.Thepanelsofthesaloondidnotopen.Perhapstheydidnotwishustotireofthesebeautifulthings.

           ThecourseoftheNautiluswasE.N.E.,herspeedtwelveknots,thedepthbelowthesurfacebetweentwenty-fiveandthirtyfathoms.

           Thenextday,10thofNovember,thesamedesertion,thesamesolitude.Ididnotseeoneoftheship’screw:NedandConseilspentthegreaterpartofthedaywithme.TheywereastonishedatthepuzzlingabsenceoftheCaptain.Wasthissingularmanill?—hadhealteredhisintentionswithregardtous?

           Afterall,asConseilsaid,weenjoyedperfectliberty,weweredelicatelyandabundantlyfed.Ourhostkepttohistermsofthetreaty.Wecouldnotcomplain,and,indeed,thesingularityofourfatereservedsuchwonderfulcompensationforusthatwehadnorighttoaccuseitasyet.