to death, and one
whose eyes served as lights for one of your orgies!"

"It is the truth," said the buccaneer.

"How, the truth?" continued Croustillac, recovering his lost vivacity.
"Are we in the land of dreams? Do you take the Chevalier de Croustillac
for a simpleton? Do you think I am one of those weak-minded creatures
who believe in the devil? I am not a goose, and I also ask twenty-four
hours in which to demolish all these ridiculous stories."

Angela became very pale, and threw a look of agony and indescribable
fear on the buccaneer, and replied to the chevalier with ill-concealed
anger, "Ah, who told you, sir, that all that has taken place is natural?
Do you know why I, young and rich, offer you my hand the first moment I
see you? Do you know what this union will cost you? You believe yourself
to have a strong mind; who told you that certain phenomena would not go
beyond your comprehension? Do you know _who_ I am? Do you know _where_
you are? Do you know in consequence of what strange mystery I offer you
my hand? A comedy?" repeated Blue Beard bitterly, regarding the
buccaneer with an appearance almost of fear; "can you not be made to
understand that all this is not a play, sir? It is hardly to be believed
that your good angel brought you here, at least."

"And then, after all, who told you that you would ever go out of this
place?" said the buccaneer coldly.

The chevalier recoiled a step, trembling, and said:

"Zounds! no violence, at least--or if so----"

"If so, what can you do?" said Blue Beard, with a smile which appeared
to the Gascon implacably cruel.

Croustillac thought, too late, of the doors he had shut behind him, of
the difficult road he had had to traverse in order to reach this
diabolical house; he saw himself at the mercy of the widow, of the
buccaneer, and of their numerous slaves. He repented heartily and most
earnestly of having so blindly entered upon such an enterprise. On the
other hand, Croustillac, in contemplating the enchanting figure of Blue
Beard, could not believe her capable of such bloodthirsty perfidy.
Nevertheless, the strange avowals she had made him, the terrible reports
concerning her, the threats of the buccaneer, began to make some
impression upon the chevalier. Just then a mulattress came in to
announce supper.

During the gloomy reflections of the adventurer, Angela had a few
minutes' conversation with the buccaneer, carried on in a low voice; she
was, as a re