ing built of
brick, and of peculiar architecture.

One could reach it only by a narrow path, forming a spiral around this
species of cone. The path was bounded on one side by a mass of
perpendicular granite; on the other by a precipice of which in the broad
daylight one could not discover the bottom.

This dangerous road terminated in a platform crossed by a brick wall, of
great thickness and edged with spikes.

Back of this species of glacis arose the walls surrounding the dwelling,
into which one entered by a very low oak door. This door communicated
with a large, square court, occupied by the outbuildings and other
buildings. This court passed, one discovered a vaulted passageway
leading to the sanctuary; that is to say, to the pavilion occupied by
Blue Beard. None of the blacks or mulattoes who formed the large force
of servants of the house had ever passed the limits of this passageway.
The serving of Blue Beard was done through the intermediary of a number
of mulattresses, who alone communicated with their mistress.

The house was built on a slope opposite the one by which access was had
from the cliff. This slope, much less steep, and laid out in a number of
natural terraces, was composed of five or six immense steps which, on
all sides, commanded the precipice.

By a phenomenon frequent in these volcanic islands, a pond of about two
acres' circumference covered almost all the length of one of the upper
terraces. Its waters were limpid and pure. Blue Beard's residence was
separated from this small lake by a narrow path of smooth sand, shining
like silver. This house was of one story. At the first glance it seems
to be constructed entirely of trees from which the bark had been
removed. Its bamboo roof was steeply inclined and overlapped by some
five or six feet the outer wall, which rested upon the trunks of palm
trees driven into the ground, and formed a kind of gallery around the
house.

A little above the level of the lake, in gentle declivity, was a lawn of
turf as fresh and green as that of the most beautiful English fields;
this was a rare thing at the Antilles, and was due to underground
irrigation which flowed from the lake and gave to this park a delightful
freshness. From this lawn, ornamented by baskets of tropical flowers,
opened a garden composed of large variegated shrubs, the slope of the
ground being such that one did not see their trunks, but only their
enameled tops of the freshest color;