his head
almost deprived him of breath. He could hardly utter a few inarticulate
cries. Rutler leaned over him and said in English, with a strong Dutch
accent, "My lord duke, I can remove this cloak, but beware, if you call
for aid you are a dead man; can you feel the point of my dagger?"

The unfortunate Croustillac did not understand English, but he
understood the dagger's point, and exclaimed, "Speak French!"

"I can understand that your grace, having been brought up in France,
should prefer that language," replied Rutler, who believed that his
Dutch accent made his words a little obscure, and he continued, "You
must pardon me, my lord, if I do not express myself very well in French.
I have the honor to inform your grace that at the slightest sound from
you I shall be compelled to kill you. It depends upon you, my lord, to
preserve your life or not, by preventing madame the duchess, your wife,
from calling for aid if she returns."

"It is evident that he takes me for some one else," thought the
chevalier. "In what devil of a network am I entangled? What is this new
mystery? and who is this brutal Dutchman with his eternal dagger and his
'my lord duke?' After all, it is gratifying not to be taken for an
insignificant man. And Blue Beard is a duchess and passes for my wife!"

"Listen, my lord," said Rutler after some moments of silence, "for your
grace's greater convenience, I can free you from the cloak which enwraps
you; but, I repeat, at the slightest cry from madame the duchess, the
slightest indication of a rescue by your slaves, I shall be compelled to
kill you. I have promised the king, my master, to bring you to him, dead
or alive."

"I stifle! take off the cloak at once, I will not make any outcry,"
murmured Croustillac, believing that the colonel would discover his
error.

Rutler removed the cloak which enveloped the face of the adventurer, who
saw a man kneeling beside him and threatening him with a dagger. The
night was clear; the chevalier could distinguish perfectly the features
of the colonel; they were absolutely unknown to him.

"My lord! remember your promise," said Rutler, who did not evince the
slightest surprise when the face of the adventurer was seen.

"How! he does not perceive his mistake," thought the astonished
chevalier.

"Meanwhile, my lord," replied the colonel, assisting Croustillac to seat
himself as comfortably as he could near the fountain, "meanwhile, my
lord, pardon the ru