In another instant Suzanne appeared, pale and terrified. "Oh, monsieur,--come,--come quick!" she cried. "What is the matter?" "Mademoiselle--" "Is my daughter worse?" "Oh, monsieur, I am so frightened,--come, come!" Cloarek, forgetting everything else in his alarm, rushed off, leaving Segoffin and the ship owner alone together. "M. Verduron, I tell you very plainly, you have had a narrow escape," said the head gunner. "I have only one piece of advice to give you. Get away from here as soon as possible." "You may be right," replied the visitor, hastily picking up his hat and cane. "I am right." "Well, listen to me. You know I mean well, and I must admit now that I am sorry I tried to carry things with such a high hand, for I had no idea that the captain had a daughter, or that he was so anxious to conceal the fact that he was a privateer; but no power on earth now, not even that of the captain himself, can prevent those devilish sailors from coming here in search of him if he does not go to them, so you had better tell him, in any case, that the ship's officers and a part of the crew are waiting for him at the tavern known as The Golden Anchor on the quay." The ship owner hastened off and Segoffin darted into the house to inquire if there was any improvement in Sabine's condition. CHAPTER XVIII. "MY MOTHER'S MURDERER STILL LIVES." Segoffin had been pacing the hall out of which Sabine's sitting-room opened for about half an hour with ever-increasing anxiety before Suzanne came out. "Well, how is mademoiselle?" he asked, anxiously. "Tell me, Suzanne, how is she?" "A nice question to ask, truly, when your brutality toward that estimable gentleman this morning threw mademoiselle into a frightful nervous spasm." "I admit that I did very wrong, but she had got over that. M. Yvon told me so when he came out into the garden. What happened afterward to upset her so again?" "Alas! the one great sorrow of her life has been recalled to her remembrance more vividly than ever!" "You refer to her poor mother's death, of course." "Yes, and she has just been talking to M. Yvon about it. You can judge how painful the conversation must have been to him." "What do you mean?" cried Segoffin, in alarm. "Is it possible that Mlle. Sabine knows that terrible secret?" "No, thank Heaven! she does not, and I sincerely hope she never will." "I do not understand you then, Suzanne." "This is what caused all the trouble," said the housekeeper, drawing a paper from her pocket. "What is that?" "The morning paper. It contains further details in relation to that famous privateer, Captain l'Endurci. Listen to what it says, and you will then understand the situation." And opening the paper, Suzanne read the following extract from an article headed, "Further Particulars in Relation to the Famous Corsair, Captain l'Endurci:"