I glanced with horror at the man who was talking to me. He looked honest and straightforward and he evidently meant what he said. And so all these poor creatures who had been disappointed in life and badly treated by society would have no right to life until after _we_ were saved—we, the more favoured ones! Oh, how I understood now the rascally-looking fellow, with his hatchet and tomahawk! How thoroughly I approved at that moment of the revolvers and the knives hidden in the belts. Yes, he was quite right, the tall, red-haired fellow. We want the first places, always the first places. And so we should have the first places in the water. “Well, are you satisfied?” asked the captain, who was just coming out of his cabin. “Has it gone off all right?” “Yes, captain,” I answered; “but I am horrified.” Jouclas stepped back in surprise. “Good Heavens, what has horrified you?” he asked. “The way in which you treat your passengers——” He tried to put in a word, but I continued: “Why—you expose us in case of a shipwreck——” “We never have a shipwreck.” “Good. In case of a fire, then——” “We never have a fire——” “Good! In case of sinking——” “I give in,” he said, laughing. “To what do we expose you, though, Madame?” “To the very worst of deaths: to a blow on the head with an axe, to a dagger thrust in our back, or merely to be flung into the water——” He attempted to speak, but again I continued: “There are seven hundred and fifty emigrants below, and there are scarcely three hundred of us, counting first-class passengers and the crew. You have boats which might save two hundred persons, and even that is doubtful——” “Well?” “Well, what about the emigrants?” “We should save them before the crew.” “But after us?” “Yes, after you.” “And you fancy that they would let you do it?” “We have guns with which to keep them in order.” “Guns—guns for women and children?” “No; the women and children would take their turn first.” “But that is idiotic!” I exclaimed; “it is perfectly absurd! Why save women and children if you are going to make widows and orphans of them? And do you believe that all those young men would resign themselves to their fate because of your guns? There are more of them than there are of you, and they are armed. Life owes them their revenge, and they have the same right that we have to defend themselves in such moments. They have the courage of those who have nothing to lose and everything to gain in the struggle. In my opinion it is iniquitous and infamous that you should expose us to certain death and them to an obligatory and perfectly justified crime.” The captain tried to speak, but again I persisted: “Without going as far as a shipwreck, only fancy if we were to be tossed about for months on a raging sea. This has happened, and might happen again. You cannot possibly have food enough on board for a thousand people during two or three months.”