an enormous parcel; the other carried on a chased silver
tray a silver gilt dish, wherein smoked a soup of the most appetizing
odor; two glass carafes, one filled with old Bordeaux, the color of
rubies, the other with Madeira wine, color of topaz, flanked the dish
and completed this light refreshment sent to the chevalier by the widow.
While one of the slaves placed before him a little table of ebony inlaid
with ivory, the negro bearing the parcel laid upon the bed a costume of
black velvet ornamented by rich flowers embroidered in gold. What was
singular about the coat was that the left sleeve was of cherry-colored
satin; this sleeve closed above the wrist with a broad facing of buffalo
skin.

For the rest, with the exception of this peculiarity, the coat was
elegantly cut; stockings of very fine silk, a rhinegrave, or cravat, of
magnificent lace, a large felt hat adorned with beautiful white plumes
and a heavy gold cord were to complete the transformation of the
adventurer.

While the chevalier endeavored to divine why the left sleeve of this
black velvet coat was of cherry-colored silk, the two negroes prepared a
bath in a neighboring dressing-room; another slave asked Croustillac in
quite pure French if he would be shaved and have his hair dressed;
Croustillac assented. Entirely refreshed and invigorated by an aromatic
bath, wrapped in a dressing-gown of fine Holland linen which exhaled the
most exquisite odors, the adventurer lounged on a soft divan while the
slaves waved enormous fans.

The chevalier, in spite of his blind faith in his destiny, which,
according to him, was to become as beautiful as it had heretofore been
miserable, believed himself at times in a dream.

His wildest hopes were surpassed; in casting a complacent glance on the
rich costume with which he was clothed, and which was to render him
fatally irresistible, he was seized with a feeling akin to remorse, on
account of the buccaneer, who had so unwisely given ingress to the wolf
into this fold in which dwelt his love. The thought of this good fellow
made Croustillac smile; he was prepared to bewilder Blue Beard by
language in which he would be victorious over her barbarous adorers.

Suddenly a horrible fear obscured the smiling prospect for the Gascon.
He began to fear for the first time that Blue Beard might be repulsively
plain; he had also the modesty to think that perhaps it would be too
much of him to require of fate that Blue Beard b