The president, since the arrival of the message, had not said what he thought about it; he had let J.T. Maston express his opinions without manifesting either approbation or blame. He kept quiet, proposing to await events, but he had not taken public impatience into consideration, and was not very pleased at the sight of the population of Tampa Town assembled under his windows. Murmurs, cries, and vociferations soon forced him to appear. It will be seen that he had all the disagreeables as well as the duties of a public man. He therefore appeared; silence was made, and a citizen asked him the following question:--"Is the person designated in the telegram as Michel Ardan on his way to America or not?" "Gentlemen," answered Barbicane, "I know no more than you." "We must get to know," exclaimed some impatient voices. "Time will inform us," answered the president coldly. "Time has no right to keep a whole country in suspense," answered the orator. "Have you altered your plans for the projectile as the telegram demanded?" "Not yet, gentlemen; but you are right, we must have recourse to the telegraph that has caused all this emotion." "To the telegraph-office!" cried the crowd. Barbicane descended into the street, and, heading the immense assemblage, he went towards the telegraph-office. A few minutes afterwards a telegram was on its way to the underwriters at Liverpool, asking for an answer to the following questions:-- "What sort of vessel is the _Atlanta_? When did she leave Europe? Had she a Frenchman named Michel Ardan on board?" Two hours afterwards Barbicane received such precise information that doubt was no longer possible. "The steamer _Atlanta_, from Liverpool, set sail on October 2nd for Tampa Town, having on board a Frenchman inscribed in the passengers' book as Michel Ardan." At this confirmation of the first telegram the eyes of the president were lighted up with a sudden flame; he clenched his hands, and was heard to mutter-- "It is true, then! It is possible, then! the Frenchman does exist! and in a fortnight he will be here! But he is a madman! I never can consent." And yet the very same evening he wrote to the firm of Breadwill and Co. begging them to suspend the casting of the projectile until fresh orders.