m. Pour
me some wine, Mirette."

The filibuster, corsair as he is, forestalls the mulattress and pours
out some iced sherry for Angela.

"It must be that I love you, to drink this, I who prefer the wines of
France." And Blue Beard drinks resolutely three drops of the sherry,
which puts fresh life into her lips and blue eyes and tinged her cheeks
a carmine hue.

"But to return to my future spouse. How is he? Is he agreeable? Is he
worthy to join the others?"

Mirette, in spite of her passive submission, cannot prevent a tremor in
hearing her mistress speak thus, although the poor slave must be
accustomed to these atrocious pleasantries, and doubtless many greater
enormities.

"What ails you, Mirette?"

"Nothing, mistress."

"If you are unwell----"

"No, mistress."

"You would be sorry to see me marry again? I shall not do so for a long
time. Go, child." Then, addressing Captain Hurricane, "And the Chevalier
de--de--what did you say was his name?"

"Chevalier de Croustillac."

"Have you seen him?"

"No; but knowing his plans and that he intends, at all hazards, and in
spite of the efforts of the good Father Griffen, to come here, I begged
Youmaeale, the cannibal," says the captain, looking at Angela in a
singular way, "to address a little warning in order to induce him to
renounce his projects."

"And you did this without letting me know, sir? What if I do not wish to
rebuff him, this pretender; for, after all, this Croustillac is a
Gascon, and I never married a Gascon."

"Oh, he is the most famous Gascon that has ever gasconaded on the earth;
with that, a figure indescribable and assurance unbounded; and as to the
rest, sufficient courage."

"And Youmaeale's warning?"

"Has accomplished nothing. It glided off the undaunted soul of this man
as a ball from the scales of a crocodile; he started out this morning
bravely, at break of day, to traverse the forest, with his pink silk
hose, his rapier at his side, and a staff to frighten the serpents. He
is still there, without doubt, at this hour, for the road to Devil's
Cliff is not known to all the world."

"James, I have an idea!" cries the widow joyfully; "let him come here
and amuse us; that we may torment him. So, he is in love with my riches
and not myself! So, he would espouse me, this fine knight errant. We
will see as to that! Well? You do not laugh at my idea, James. What ails
you? But moreover, you know, sir, that I will not be thwarted; I wi