For the time the volcano seemed to have pretermitted its activity.

"It so happened that M. Benest had pretermitted his angling, that afternoon, for a stroll along the cliff: but he heard the news on his return, from his landlady, while he sat at teathat is to say, he heard a part of it, for before the story was out he had set down his teacup, caught up hat and stick, and stumped out of the house.