The poor king broke down again and sobbed. After a long pause Cosmo asked gently:
"Did the Frenchman tell you how he came upon the barge?"
"He said that in rising to the surface to find out the state of things there the submersible came up directly under the barge, canting it in such a way that I was rolled out and he caught me as I was swept close to the opening."
"But how was it that the downpour, entering the submersible, when the cover was removed, did not fill it with water?"
"He had the cover so arranged that it served as an almost complete protection from the rain. Some water did enter, but not much."
"A wonderful man, that Frenchman," said Cosmo. "He would be an acquisition for me. What did he say his name was? Oh, yes, De Beauxchamps—I'll make a note of that. I shouldn't wonder if we heard of him again."
Cosmo Versál was destined to encounter Yves de Beauxchamps and his wonderful submersible Jules Verne sooner, and under more dramatic circumstances than he probably anticipated.
CHAPTER XVIII
NAVIGATING OVER DROWNED EUROPE
After the English king had so strangely become a member of its company the Ark resumed its course in the direction of what had once been Europe. The spot where the meeting with the Jules Verne had occurred was west of Cape Finisterre and, according to the calculations of Captain Arms, in longitude fifteen degrees four minutes west; latitude forty-four degrees nine minutes north.