“But where shall we find him?” said Ned Land. “Follow me,” said I, to my companions. We left the saloon. There was no one in the library. At the centre staircase, by the berths of the ship’s crew, there was no one. I thought that Captain Nemo must be in the pilot’s cage. It was best to wait. We all returned to the saloon. For twenty minutes we remained thus, trying to hear the slightest noise which might be made on board the Nautilus, when Captain Nemo entered. He seemed not to see us; his face, generally so impassive, showed signs of uneasiness. He watched the compass silently, then the manometer; and, going to the planisphere, placed his finger on a spot representing the southern seas. I would not interrupt him; but, some minutes later, when he turned towards me, I said, using one of his own expressions in the Torres Straits: “An incident, Captain?” “No, sir; an accident this time.” “Serious?” “Perhaps.” “Is the danger immediate?” “No.” “The Nautilus has stranded?” “Yes.” “And this has happened—how?” “From a caprice of nature, not from the ignorance of man. Not a mistake has been made in the working. But we cannot prevent equilibrium from producing its effects. We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.” Captain Nemo had chosen a strange moment for uttering this philosophical reflection. On the whole, his answer helped me little. “May I ask, sir, the cause of this accident?”