\"Great heavens! What a woman!\" cried the captain，and stamped with fury. \"Not without reason have I been trembling and in fear of her from the first time I saw her! It must have been a warning of fate that Istopped playing écarté with her. It was also a bad omen4 that I passed so many sleepless nights. Was there ever mortal in a worse perplexity than I am?How can I leave her alone without a protector， loving her， as I do， more than my own life? And， on the other hand， how can I marry her， after all my declaimings against marriage?\"