must ascend a waterfall twenty feet in height."

"That is too much for me. So, the vessel that brought you to the outside
of this cavern----"

"Has already left for the Barbadoes, my lord. It could approach this
island in spite of the French cruisers only because this coast is
inaccessible."

"I thought that this road was impenetrable," said the chevalier,
overcome.

"If you will believe me, my lord, you will limit yourself to announcing
to madame the duchess that you will be absent for several days only. I
have faith in your word as a gentleman that you will make no attempt to
escape from my hands."

"I have given you my word, sir."

"I believe you, my lord, and my dagger answers to me for its
fulfillment."

"I should have been very much astonished if the dagger had not
reappeared," thought Croustillac. "He trusts implicitly in my word; that
does not prevent his trusting as much to his dagger. Zounds! what
distrust! But that is not what concerns me. What shall I do? The duchess
is not prepared; the slaves will not obey me if I give them orders. It
is no use; behold me at the end of my falsehoods."

Croustillac had forced himself to become resigned to his assumption. He
regretted sincerely that he was not to be permitted to devote himself
more efficaciously to the service of Blue Beard; for he did not doubt
that his ruse would be discovered the moment he put foot in the house.
He had shortly another apprehension. The Caribbean, seeing Croustillac
return accompanied by a stranger armed to the teeth, would attack the
colonel. Now, the latter had assured the adventurer that at the first
attack he would be compelled to kill him without mercy.

The chevalier began to find his role less diverting and to curse the
stupid curiosity, the imprudent heedlessness which had thrown him into a
position as complicated as it was dangerous.

CHAPTER XX.

THE DEPARTURE.

The spirit of Croustillac was too mercurial and too adventurous to
remain long under the weight of fear or sadness. He reasoned as follows:
To-day, as heretofore, I have little or nothing to lose; if I decide to
go out from this house, I continue to pass for the duke, and I am
treated like a prince until some one discovers the imposition; then I
shall become big John as heretofore, and I shall have rendered a great
service to this pretty little Blue Beard, who has mocked at me, but who
enchants me, for she interests me more than I wish, more than