e of an ideal beauty.

Croustillac possessed good qualities. He said to himself with the
conviction of a man who knew perfectly how to moderate and set bounds to
his ambition--"Providing the widow be not more than from forty to fifty
years; that she be not blind or outrageously lame; that she has some
teeth and hair--faith! her wine is so good, her service so fine, her
servants so attentive--if she is worth three or four millions, I
consent to take the risk my predecessors did, and to make the widow
happy, on the honor of De Croustillac! seeing that I prefer to take the
consequences of my role as a husband rather than return on board the
Unicorn and swallow lighted candles for the amusement of that amphibious
animal, Captain Daniel. Well, then, should Blue Beard be plain, and of
overripe age, she is still a millionaire, and I will take care of this
good lady, and will be so very agreeable to her that, far from sending
me to join the other dead husbands, she will have no desire but that of
cherishing me dearly, and embellishing my life by all kinds of delicious
cares. Come, come, Croustillac," said the adventurer, with increased
exaltation, "I say truly, your star is in the ascendent, and shall shine
more than in the past it has been overcast! Yes, it is in the
ascendent."

So saying, the chevalier called one of the blacks who was awaiting his
orders in a neighboring room, and with his assistance put on the velvet
dress with the cherry colored sleeve. The Gascon was tall, but bony and
thin; the garment which he donned was made for a man of the same height,
but broad-chested and small in the waist; so the vest formed some large
folds about the body of Croustillac; and his cherry-colored stockings
draped themselves no less majestically about his long, thin, and nervous
legs.

The chevalier did not concern himself about these slight imperfections
of his costume; he threw a final glance at his reflection in the
Venetian mirror which the slave held up to him, arranged his rough,
black hair, caressed his long mustache, hung his formidable sword to a
rich strap of buffalo skin which had been brought to him, proudly put on
the felt hat with golden cord and white plumes, and, strutting up and
down the room with a triumphant air, impatiently awaited the moment of
presentation to the widow. This moment arrived shortly. The aged
mulattress who had received the adventurer came to seek him, and begging
him to follow her, ushered hi