"Yes, and in order to explain his frequent absences he has given his daughter to understand that he sells dry goods on a commission, so you can understand my embarrassment when I saw you drop down upon us from the clouds." "But why didn't you ask me to keep the secret?" "That was what I wanted to speak to you in private about. After you refused, it was like treading on live coals to continue the conversation, and when I saw you were certain to let the cat out of the bag there was nothing for me to do but tumble you down the cliff to get you away from Mlle. Sabine and the housekeeper. It was pretty rough treatment, I admit, but I could see no other way out of the difficulty." "I forgive you, Segoffin," said M. Verduron, magnanimously. "I must even admit that it was very clever of you to--" "Where are they? Where are they?" shouted M. Cloarek's voice high above their heads. "They both fell over the cliff, monsieur," replied the voice of Thérèse. Almost immediately Yvon's head appeared above the parapet. On seeing the ship owner, he stood a moment as if stupefied, then remembering that M. Verduron's presence imperilled the secret he was so anxious to guard, he exclaimed: "Damnation! You here, monsieur! How dare you--" But with three bounds Segoffin had reached the brow of the cliff. "Don't be alarmed; Mlle. Sabine and Suzanne know nothing," he cried. "Thank God! I can breathe again!" murmured Cloarek, relieved of a terrible apprehension. CHAPTER XVII. THE VOICE OF THE TEMPTER. Cloarek, reassured in regard to the probable consequences of the ship owner's visit, was anxious to ascertain the object of his coming, but it was first necessary to devise some way of helping him up the cliff, so Segoffin went in search of a rope. They threw one end of it to M. Verduron, and he soon made the ascent, thanks to its aid. "Come in the house," said Cloarek, without making any attempt to conceal his annoyance. "I want to know why you ventured to come and search me out when I had taken such pains to conceal my identity." "Well, to make a long story short, I came to hold a council of war with you." "A council of war? Are you mad?" "By no means, my brave captain, as you will profit by it to the extent of at least four or five hundred thousand francs." "In other words, you want me to put to sea again, I suppose. But one question, here and now: What right had you to make a confidential letter that I wrote to you--what right, I say, had you to make such a letter public?" "I thought it would give such pleasure to the many readers of the _Journal_, all of whom are hungering for news of the bravest and most renowned of privateers." "You are very complimentary, I am sure, but this indiscretion on your part has annoyed me greatly." "In that case your modesty will certainly suffer very much from the article in to-day's paper." "What article? Let me tell you once for all--"