He lifted his cap, bowed, and moved a step away, then stopped again. A deeper light shone in the blue eyes, and a slight tremor came into the clear, strong voice as he continued:
"There is no question of real danger. We are near the shore, and the sea is tolerably smooth. I only wished that you might not be taken by surprise. Forgive my boldness."
He bowed again, and then quickly retired, as if he wished to avoid further questions.
"There is no question of danger," murmured Elsa. "It is a pity; I should like to have been saved by him. But my father must know this. The President ought to be prepared; he needs it more than I do."
She turned to the cabin; but already the diminished speed of the vessel, which in the last half-minute had still further lessened, had attracted the attention of the passengers assembled there. Her father and the President were already ascending the steps.
"What is the matter?" called the General.
"We cannot possibly be in Prora already?" said the President.
At that moment they all felt what seemed like an electric shock, while an odd, dull, grinding sound fell unpleasantly upon their ears. The keel had touched the sand-bank, but had not stuck fast. A shrill whistle, a couple of seconds' breathless silence, then the whole ship shook and quivered with the force of the reversed motion of the screw.
But what only a few minutes before would have averted the danger was too late now. The vessel had to pass backwards over the same sandbank which it had only just managed to get over. A larger wave in its retreat had forced the stern a few inches further down. The screw laboured vigorously; the ship heeled over a little, but remained fixed.
"What the devil is the meaning of this?" cried the General.