"Do not be in a hurry to thank him," he said--"wait till he has told you what has occurred, and in what way he found himself obliged to set you at liberty, when he would probably have preferred not to do so." "Come, come!" said the Count, stamping his foot passionately--"Explain yourself! I understand nothing of all this. I wish to know everything--everything, I tell you!" "This man will tell you it, Captain; but he is afraid at present of the consequences of his confession, and that is why he hesitates to make it." M. de Barmont smiled disdainfully. "This man is beneath my contempt," he said; "whatever he may say I will not take the slightest vengeance on him--he is pardoned beforehand, I pledge him my word as a gentleman." "Now speak, Major," said Michael; "during that time I will go on deck again with Skipper Nicaud, or, if you prefer it, Bowline, who has played his part remarkably well throughout the affair." Michael left the cabin, and the two men remained alone. The Major understood that it was better to make a clean breast of it: hence he told the Count, without any equivocation, the full details of his treachery, and in what manner Michael had compelled him to save him, when, on the contrary, he was paid to ruin him. Although the name of the Duc de Peñaflor had not once been mentioned during the Major's narration, the Count divined that it was he alone who had dealt him all the blows he had felt so severely during the last eighteen months; however great his resolution might be, this depth of hatred, this Machiavellian vengeance terrified him; but in this extremely detailed narrative one point seemed to him obscure, and that was, how Michael had discovered the final machinations of his enemies, and done so opportunely enough to be able to foil them. All the questions the Count asked on this head the Major was unable to answer, for he was ignorant. "Well," asked the sailor, suddenly entering the cabin, "are you now informed, Captain?" "Yes," the latter replied, with a certain tinge of sadness, "except on one point." "What is it, Captain?" "I should like to know in what manner you detected this cleverly contrived plot." "Very simply, Captain, and I will tell you the whole affair in a couple of words. Bowline and I, without the Major suspecting it, followed him carefully into the ruins, while cautiously avoiding being seen; in this way no part of his conversation with the stranger escaped us. When the Major handed him the papers, and the stranger retired, I jumped at his throat, and, with Bowline's help, took the papers from him--" "Where are these papers?" the Count interrupted him eagerly. "I will give them to you, Captain." "Thanks, Michael; now go on." "Well, my story's finished; I gagged him to prevent him calling out, and after tying him up like a plug of tobacco to stop him running after us, I left him there and went away." "What, you went away, Michael, leaving the man thus gagged and bound on a desert isle?"