or a
living. My profession is an honourable one. I have never degraded myself
by taking part in trade of any kind, or by manual labour. Killing is my
business, at the risk of my own life and limb--for I always do my work
alone, unaided, armed only with my trusty sword. Fair play is a jewel,
and I would scorn to take a mean advantage of anybody. I always give
warning before I attack a man, and let him have a chance to defend
himself--having a horror of treachery, and cowardly, sneaking ways. What
profession could be more noble than mine, pray? I am no common, brutal
assassin, my lord duke, and I beseech your lordship to take back that
offensive epithet, which I could never accept, save in a friendly,
joking way--it outrages too painfully the sensitive delicacy of my
amour-propre, my lord!"

"Very well, so be it, Maitre Jacquemin Lampourde, since you desire it,"
answered Vallombreuse, very much amused at the oddity of his strange
visitor. "And now have the goodness to explain your business here, with
a purse in your hand, that you certainly appear to be steadily offering
to me."

Jacquemin satisfied by this concession to his susceptibility, suddenly
jerked his head forward, without bending his body, while he waved the
hat that he held slowly to and fro, making, according to his ideas,
a salute that was a judicious mingling of the soldier's and the
courtier's--which ceremony being concluded, he proceeded as follows with
his explanation:

"Here is the whole thing in a nutshell, my lord duke! I received,
from Merindol--acting for your lordship--part payment in advance
for despatching a certain Baron de Sigognac, commonly called Captain
Fracasse. On account of circumstances beyond my control, I have not been
able to finish the job, and as I am a great stickler for honesty, and
honour also, I have hastened to bring back to you, my lord duke, the
money that I did not earn."

With these words he advanced a step, and with a gesture that was not
devoid of dignity, gently laid the purse down on a beautiful Florentine
mosaic table, that stood at the duke's elbow.

"Verily," said Vallombreuse sneeringly, "we seem to have here one of
those droll bullies who are good for naught but to figure in a comedy;
an ass in a lion's skin, whose roar is nothing worse than a bray. Come,
my man, own up frankly that you were afraid of that same de Sigognac."

"Jacquemin Lampourde has never been afraid of anybody in his life," the
fighting ma