Chapter 43—Disquieting Traces
In the night of April 26–27, the weather changed; the thermometer fell many degrees, and the inhabitants of Doctor’s House perceived it from the cold which made its way beneath their coverings; Altamont, who was watching the stove, took care not to let the fire get low, and he was kept busy putting on enough coal to keep the temperature at 50°. This cold weather announced the end of the storm, and the doctor was glad of it, for now they could resume their usual occupations, their hunting, excursions, and explorations; this would put an end to the apathy of their loneliness, which in time sours even the finest characters.
The next morning the doctor rose early, and made his way over the drifts to the lighthouse. The wind was from the north; the air clear, the
