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?"