"What! you wear a mask, monsieur?" exclaimed the new-comer in a tone of surprise not unmixed with vexation. He was a stout man of some fifty-five to fifty-eight years, with the stern, glaring eye of a bird of prey, and a grizzly moustache and royale; although he wore no mask, he concealed his hair and his features as much as possible beneath a huge laced hat, and his figure and his clothes beneath a blue cloak of ample proportions. Cauvignac, upon obtaining a view at close quarters of the individual who addressed him, could not restrain an involuntary movement of surprise. "Well, well, monsieur, what's the matter?" demanded he of the blue cloak. "Nothing, monsieur; I nearly lost my balance. I believe that you did me the honor of addressing me. What were you saying, pray?" "I asked you why you are masked." "That is a plain question," said the young man, "and I will reply with equal frankness; I am masked in order to conceal my face." "Then it is a face that I know?" "I think not; but having seen it once you might know it again later; and that, in my opinion, would be utterly useless." "I should say that you were quite as outspoken as myself." "Yes, when outspokenness can do me no harm. "Does your frankness go so far as to lead you to disclose the secrets of others?" "Why not, if such disclosure can be of advantage to me?" "It's a singular profession that you practise." "_Dame!_ one does what one can do, monsieur; I have been, in succession, lawyer, doctor, soldier, and partisan; you see that I am not likely to go begging for a trade." "What are you now?" "Your humble servant," said the young man, bowing respectfully. "Have you the letter in question?" "Have you the blank signature?" "Here it is." "Shall we make the exchange?" "One moment, monsieur," said the stranger in the blue cloak; "your conversation is delightful to me, and I should be sorry to lose my enjoyment of it so soon." "Good lack! monsieur, it is quite at your service, as I myself am," rejoined Cauvignac. "Let us talk, by all means, if it is agreeable to you." "Shall I step into your boat, or do you prefer to come aboard mine, so that our boatmen may be out of ear-shot in the other boat?" "Useless, monsieur; you speak some foreign tongue, no doubt?" "I can speak Spanish." "And I; let us talk in Spanish, then, if you please." "By all means! What motive," continued the gentleman, adopting from that moment the idiom agreed upon, "led you to inform the Duc d'Épernon of the infidelity of the lady in question?" "I was desirous to be of service to that eminent nobleman, and to get into his good graces." "Have you any ill-will to Mademoiselle de Lartigues?" "Ill-will? By no manner of means! On the contrary, I must admit that I am under some obligation to her, and I should be extremely sorry were any mishap to befall her." "Then Monsieur le Baron de Canolles is your enemy?"