"Let us lose no time, Excellency," he said.
And drawing a roll of parchment from under his cloak he unrolled and laid it before the pirate, who was in extasies at the magnificent plan he saw.
"What do you, think of that, Excellency?" the architect said, in a sweet, bitter voice.
"Sublime!" he exclaimed, transported with admiration.
"You are a judge," the other answered, "this is what I propose doing."
And in his turn he began entering into the most minute details, to which the old sailor listened with gaping mouth and flashing eyes, never leaving off looking at the splendid fortress drawn on the parchment. When the architect ceased speaking, the pirate was so confounded by all he had heard, that he remained for a moment stunned, and tried in vain to restore the regular flow of his thoughts.
"Well," he at last asked with a certain shade of incredulity, which involuntarily betrayed itself in his voice, "do you fancy yourself capable of carrying out such a masterpiece?"
"Nothing is easier."
"But we have no building stones."
"I will find them."