was now about Sixty, and his Hair was
grizzled grey) as Beautiful as a Woman, as Graceful as my Sweet
Protectress Lilias, as Brave as the Cid, and as Cruel as Pedro of Spain.
As it is so long ago, and the Principal Parties in the Affair are all
Dead, I don't mind disclosing that my Instructions from his Eminence the
Cardinal were to Buy the Cavaliere di San Lorenzo at any Price. I told
him so plainly over a Flask of Right Alicant, at a little Feast I had
made for him in return for his many Hospitalities, and gave him to
understand that he had but to say the word, and Scroppa, the great
Goldsmith of Strada Reale, would be glad to cash his Draft for any Sum
under Fifty Thousand Ducats. For his Eminence wanted the Cavaliere to be
a Friend of France, and France at that time thought that she very much
wanted the Island of Malta.

Don Ercolo was not in the least angry; only, he Laughed in my Face.

"Chevalier Escarbotin," he said gaily, "you have mistaken your man. Tell
his Eminence the Cardinal de ---- that he may go and hang himself. I am
not to be bought. I am Rich to Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand ounces of
Gold, all got out of spoiling the Infidels. When I die, I shall leave
half to the Order, and half to the families of certain Poor Women
Creatures whom I have wronged, and who are Dead."

I said, to appease him, that I was but Joking.

"Ta, ta, ta!" retorts he. "I know your Trade well enough. I have been
too much among men not to be able to scent out a Spy. But you are a very
Jovial Fellow, Escarbotin; and I don't care what you are, so long as you
are not a Turk, which, by the way, I don't think you would mind
turning."

"O, Signore Cavaliere!"--I began to expostulate.

"What does it matter?" quoth Don Ercolo. "Does it matter anything at
all? Perhaps some of these days, when I am tired of the Eight Points, I
shall take the Turban myself."

"A Renegado!" I cried.

"Many a brave Gentleman has turned Renegado ere this," answered he.
"Next to the pleasure of Fighting the Turks, I should esteem the
condition of being a Turk myself, and fighting against the Order of
Malta. But I forgot. You are a Lutheran; although how you came to be a
Protestant, with that name of Escarbotin, I can't make out."

I murmured something about belonging to the Reformed Church at Geneva;
although I forgot that they were mostly Calvinists there, not Lutherans.
But of this Don Ercolo took little notice, and went on.

"When you write to t