But before Gavison had had time to reply, there came another rapping at the door. And, hardly waiting for my summons, a wild-eyed Xanocles burst in. Like my other visitor, he did not waste time on greetings. “You--do you know?” he faltered, with a lack of self-command most unusual in him. Solemnly we assured him that we knew. Without further delay we plunged into the subject that had brought him to us. “Maybe you’d like to go and see for yourselves?” he suggested. “But how can we see for ourselves?” I asked. “The government--that is to say, the High Chief Adviser--has ordered the intra-atomic river boats put at the people’s disposal. Seven of them are now plying back and forth, bearing thousands to the glass wall. The Adviser thinks the people should see for themselves just what has happened.” “Very well then, let’s go,” decided the Captain. Without another word the three of us set out together. In silence we strode down the long avenue that meandered toward the river. And as we sped along we encountered dozens of the natives, all of them in as great a hurry as we; and all had faces flushed and excited, or fearful and drawn, or pale as though with apprehension. * * * * * Upon arriving at the piers, we found that hundreds of Atlanteans had preceded us, most of them so transformed that I could hardly recognize them as citizens of the Sunken World; for they were chattering wildly, or pacing distractedly back and forth, or uttering half-hysterical exclamations; and one or two were mumbling and muttering to themselves, or moving their lips silently in what might have been prayer. But they did not fail to notice our arrival; angry exclamations broke forth at sight of us, and several of the men and women withdrew visibly from us; and, in my surprise, I did not know whether to ascribe their hostility to the unpopularity of Xanocles or to the part that Gavison and I had played as unconscious agents of disaster. To calm the excited multitude, a vigorous-looking young man ventured to raise his voice, and proclaim, “Friends, there is still no reason for alarm. We do not yet know how serious the damage may be, but the glass wall still holds; not a drop of water has broken through.... There is reason to believe that the break will be speedily repaired, and that we will go on living as happily as ever....”