er," said the
chevalier to Chemerant, "you must see how painful this scene is to me."

"You see, sir," said Chemerant to the lieutenant of marines, "the
persons who are going to embark, do so under my personal responsibility.
I am Chemerant, commissioner extraordinary to the king, and am furnished
with full powers."

"Sir," said the lieutenant, "it is unnecessary to cite your authority;
this escort is sufficient guarantee, and----"

"Then, sir, remove the order."

"Nothing is easier, sir; the order being now useless, it is useless to
maintain it." "Thomas," cried this irrepressible talker to his
subordinate, "you know the order that I gave you?"

"Which, lieutenant?"

"How! brainless one!"

"Sir, my time is valuable, I must return shortly to Fort Royal," said
Chemerant.

The lieutenant continued, recklessly, "How! you have forgotten the order
I gave you?"

"The last one? no, lieutenant."

"No, lieutenant! well, repeat it, then; let us hear the order." Then,
addressing Chemerant, he said to him, while pointing to his soldier, "He
hasn't the memory of a gosling! I am not sorry to give him this lesson
before you, it will profit him."

"Confound it! I am not here to assist in educating your functionaries,"
said Chemerant.

"Well, Thomas, this order?"

"Lieutenant, it was to let no one embark on the vessel."

"Very well, that is all right; now I remove the embargo."

"Go on board at once, madame," said Croustillac, unable to moderate his
impatience.

Angela cast a last look at him.

The duke made a despairing effort to break his fetters, but he was
quickly carried off to the tender by the soldiers.

At a sign from Blue Beard, the sailors dipped their oars into the sea
and headed for the Chameleon.

"Are you satisfied now, your highness," said Chemerant.

"No, no; not yet, sir. I shall not be content until I see the vessel set
sail," replied the Gascon in a changed voice.

"The prince is implacable in his hate," thought Chemerant; "he trembles
still with rage, although his revenge is assured."

All at once the sky was irradiated by the rays of the sun which made
more somber still the line of azure which the sea formed on the horizon;
the sun rose majestically, pouring torrents of red upon the water, the
rocks, and the bay.

At this instant the Chameleon, which had been joined by the small boat,
flung to the breeze its white sails, and began to draw in its cable, by
which it was attached to the