r was struck with the air of nobility and goodness which
overspread her face. "Listen to me," she said, with an affectionate and
protecting voice. "Because certain circumstances in my life oblige me to
a conduct often strange; because I perhaps abuse my liberty you must not
think I have a contempt for men of heart."

Croustillac looked at the widow with surprise. She was not the same
woman. She appeared like a woman of the world. He was so taken aback
that he could not speak.

Blue Beard continued: "You ask me if I hate you; we have not yet reached
the point where such sentiments, good or bad, can attain such extremity;
but I am far from hating you; you are certainly very vain, very
boastful, very arrogant----"

"Madame!"

"But you are good, brave, and you would be capable, I am sure, of a
generous devotion; you are poor, of obscure birth----"

"Madame, the name of Croustillac is as good as any other," cried the
chevalier, unable to vanquish the demon of pride.

The widow continued as if she had not heard the chevalier. "If you had
been born rich and powerful, you would have made a noble use of your
power and your wealth. Want has counseled you to more evil than she has
made you perform, for you have suffered and endured many privations----"

"But, madame----"

"Poverty finds you careless and resigned; fortune would have found you
prodigal and generous; in a word, what is of rare occurrence, you have
not been more hurt by poverty than you would have been by prosperity. If
the amount of your good qualities has not brought you much more than the
heedlessness of youth, this house would not have been open to you, be
certain of that, sir. If the proposition that I shall make you to-night
is not agreeable to you, I am sure, at least, that you will not carry
away a disagreeable remembrance of Blue Beard. Will you await me here?"
she said, smiling, "I am going to take a look at Youmaeale's breakfast,
for it is customary with the Caribbeans that the women alone take care
of this, and I wish, in that respect at least, that Youmaeale should feel
as if in his own cabin."

So saying, the widow left. This interview was, so to speak, a finishing
touch to the unhappy chevalier. Although the widow had shrewdly summed
up the character of Croustillac, she had expressed it in a manner full
of kindness, grace and dignity. She had, in fact, shown herself in a new
light, which overthrew all the Gascon's suppositions. The simple and