Into the tense silence broke the brittle clicking of high heels as Tom and Dorothy Hall sauntered up, arm in arm, a puzzled frown on their foreheads.
The Captain moaned. "Another woman! Wait, Thayer. We've one more woman here. Which one of you men in Boat A will volunteer to give up his place to young Mrs. Hall?"
An elderly man walked serenely back into the ship, and joined the others.
Dorothy looked bewildered. "But what's happened? We kept hearing so much noise we decided to get up. Is something wrong?"
"We're abandoning ship. This gentleman is giving up his place to you. Get in."
She clung to Tom's arm. "Not without my husband!"
"Mrs. Hall! We can't waste time on hysterics. This ship might be vaporized while we're talking. A man has given up his chance at life for you. Get in."
She held back. "And Tom?"
With a haggard smile, Tom pat-ted her shoulder. "Never mind me, honey. You go jump in. I'll be all right."
"Mrs. Hall, I'm willing to deprive one man of his chance, because you are a woman. But I will not ask anyone else to give up his place to your husband. Every man in the lifeboat has as much right to his life as your husband, and so has every man who must be left behind. Go, now. It's your last chance!"