u spare my
life I shall reach Devil's Cliff; I shall do all I can to please Blue
Beard, and I _shall_ please her, I warn you. So, then, once more, break
my head, or resign yourself to seeing in me a rival, shortly a happy
rival!"

"I say to you, clasp hands, brother."

"How? in spite of what I say?"

"Yes."

"It does not alarm you?"

"No."

"It is all the same to you if I go to Devil's Cliff?"

"I will conduct you there, myself."

"Yourself?"

"To-day."

"And I shall see Blue Beard?"

"You shall see her as often as you wish."

The chevalier, moved by the confidence in him which the buccaneer
testified, did not wish to abuse it; he said in a solemn tone, "Listen,
buccaneer, you are as generous as a savage; this is not by way of
offense; but, my worthy friend, my loyal enemy, you are as ignorant as a
savage. Reared in the midst of the forest, you have no idea what a man
is who has passed his life in pleasing, seducing; you do not know the
marvelous resources which such a man finds in his natural attractions;
you do not know the irresistible influence of a word, a gesture, a
smile, a look! This poor Blue Beard does not know either; to judge from
what they say of her three husbands. They were three worthless fellows,
three vagabonds; she rid herself of them, rightly. Why has she rid
herself of them? Because she sought an ideal, an unknown being, the
dream of her dreams. Now, my brave friend, always be it said without
offense, you cannot deceive yourself to such a degree as to think that
you realize this dream of Blue Beard; you cannot really take yourself
for a Celadon--for an Adonis----"

The buccaneer looked at Croustillac with a stupid air and did not appear
to understand him; he said, pointing to the sun, "The sun is setting; we
have four leagues to make before we arrive at Devil's Cliff; let us
start."

"This unhappy man," thought the chevalier, "has not the slightest idea
of the danger he runs; it is a pity to disabuse his blindness; it is
like striking a child; it is snaring a sitting pheasant; it is killing a
sleeping man; on the honor of De Croustillac, it gives me scruples."
Then aloud, "You do not understand, then, my brave friend, that this man
as seductive as irresistible of whom I speak is none other than myself?"

"Ah, bah! it is impossible."

"Your surprise is not flattering, brave hunter, but if I speak thus to
you of myself, it is that honor compels me to tell the truth, the whole
t