liff," returned a third, "do they
not say she has five or six millions of gold and precious stones hidden
somewhere?"

"Ah, there it is! hidden no one knows where!" exclaimed Captain Daniel;
"but one thing sure, she _has_ them, for I have it from old father
'Wide-awake,' who had once seen Blue Beard's first husband at Devil's
Cliff (which husband, they say, was young and handsome as an angel). I
have it from Wide-awake that Blue Beard on this day amused herself by
measuring in a bowl, diamonds, pearls and emeralds; now, all these
riches are still in her possession, without counting that her third and
last husband, as they say, was very rich, and that all his fortune was
in gold dust."

"People say she is so avaricious that she expends for herself and
household only ten thousand francs a year," continued a passenger.

"As to that, it is not certain," said Captain Daniel; "no one knows how
she lives, because she is a stranger in the colony, and not four persons
have ever put their feet inside Devil's Cliff."

"Truly; and lucky it is so; I am not the one who would have the
curiosity to go there," said another; "Devil's Cliff does not enjoy a
very good reputation; they do say that strange things take place there."

"It is certain that it has been struck by lightning three times."

"That does not surprise me; and strange cries, they say, are heard round
the house."

"It is said that it is built like a fortress, inaccessible, among the
rocks of the Cabesterre."

"That is natural if Blue Beard has so great a treasure to guard."

Croustillac heard this conversation with great curiosity. These
treasures, these diamonds, were pictured in his imagination.

"Of whom do you speak, gentlemen?" he said.

"We are speaking of Blue Beard."

"Who is this Blue Beard?"

"Blue Beard? Well, it is--Blue Beard."

"But is this a man or a woman?" said the chevalier.

"Blue Beard?"

"Yes, yes," said Croustillac impatiently.

"'Tis a woman."

"How, a woman? and why, then, call her Blue Beard?"

"Because she gets rid of her husbands as easily as Blue Beard of the old
story got rid of his wives."

"And she is a widow? She is a widow! Oh," cried the chevalier, clapping
his hands while his heart beat rapidly, "a widow! rich beyond belief;
rich enough to make one dizzy only to try to estimate her wealth--a
widow!"

"A widow; so much of a widow that she is such for a third time in three
years," said the captain.

"And is she