While the barber prepared everything that was necessary for shaving Chaudoreille, the latter detached his sword. After having looked all over the shop in search of a place in which it seemed convenient to put it, he decided to keep it on his knees; he relieved himself of his cloak, then he took off the faded ruff which surrounded his neck, and abandoned his odd, lean little figure to the cares of Touquet, who came forward bearing a basin and a soapball. The barber began by taking and throwing into a corner of the shop the sword which Chaudoreille was holding on his knees. The chevalier made a movement of despair, crying,-- "What are you doing, unhappy man? You will break Rolande, the sword which Charlemagne's nephew carried." "If it's such a good blade it won't break. How do you think I can shave you holding that great halberd on your knee?" "It's necessary to handle it with care at least. Zounds! you are nearly as quick as I am." "Do you want me to cut your mustaches?" "No, no,--never. A chevalier without mustaches! What are you thinking of? Do you want people to take me for a young girl?" "I don't think anyone could so deceive himself." "That's all right; I especially pride myself on my mustaches, and the imperial that gives a masculine air. Ah, King Francis the First knew very well what he was doing when he wore that little pointed beard on his chin. Don't you think that I bear some resemblance to that monarch?" "You resemble him so much, in fact, that I defy anyone, no matter who it might be, to perceive it. But let's get to my business: I wish to employ you. Your time is free?" "Free? Yes; that is to say, for you there is nothing that I won't leave. I've only two or three amorous appointments and five or six affairs of honor; but those can be put off." "There's some money to be earned." "I'm a man who would put myself in the fire to make myself useful." "The business is not positively my own." "Yes, I understand,--a delicate mission. You know that I've already served you in many such cases." "I hope that you'll be more adroit this time; for the manner in which you conducted yourself in the last matters in which I employed you should have prevented me from asking you to serve me again." "Oh, my dear Touquet, don't be unjust; it seems to me that I managed them passably well. First, you desired me to carry a letter to a young lady without letting her parents know of it." "Yes; and you positively gave the note to her mother." "What the devil! how should I know it was her mother? That woman had rouge, flowers, laces, a corset which made her waist about as thick as my purse; I believed her to be the young lady. With their hoops, basquines and immense head-dresses, it will soon be impossible to distinguish the sexes."