Captain Hausmann, with an admirable composure, glanced through the messages.
"Yes; here it is," he said.
"I will dictate the answer," said the Admiral.
Without a word, the Captain sat down again at his desk and wrote to Pachmann's dictation:
"Lépine, Paris.
No record of Ignace Vard and daughter on Ottilie. Stateroom 514 unoccupied.
Hausmann, Captain."
"It would be well to have the message sent at once," added Pachmann. "You will also see that the name of Vard and his daughter do not appear on your passenger list, and that they are moved from the stateroom they now occupy to some other one. The records for the voyage must show that that room was indeed unoccupied. You will also instruct the purser that the tickets surrendered by Vard and his daughter are not to be turned in, but, in case of inquiry, to be reported unused."
The Captain had listened carefully.
"On what pretext will I move these people?" he asked.