his expression, and hastened to explain.

'My left ear is a little deaf,' he said, turning his head so as to
present the other. 'Nothing remains but to agree on the price of the
service,' he continued in a business-like tone. 'When we are told
exactly where we shall find our man, it is simple enough. But in this
case we may have to travel far. We shall require two gold ducats daily
for our expenses till we find the opportunity we need for such a
difficult business, and five hundred gold ducats when we hand over to
you the young lady and her nurse. One hundred gold ducats must be
advanced before we start, on account of expenses.'

Pignaver's sour face twitched at the mention of such sums.

'You set a high price on your services, gentlemen,' he said.

'"Service" is not precisely the word, my lord,' said Trombin, desisting
from picking the leg of a quail, and staring intently at the masked
Senator. 'It is, as I may say, a false metaphor, which is an outrage
upon elegant speech--forgive me for borrowing your own expressions!'

And suddenly Trombin's eyes glared in such a way that the Senator was
cowed.

'I assure you, I had no intention of giving you offence, Count,' he
said. 'If you will, choose the word you prefer; I will use it with
pleasure.'

'"Benefit," my lord, or, if you prefer the longer form, "benefaction."
Either will do very well.'

Trombin thereupon resumed operations on the leg of the quail, and when
his absurd little mouth showed his teeth the Senator observed they were
as white and sharp as a cat's. It was clear that he was the talker in
the partnership, and left all business arrangements to his companion.

'I have named the sum we require, my lord,' the latter said calmly, 'and
we are not accustomed to argue such matters. You would give ten times as
much for your own life any day, and Alessandro Stradella would certainly
find a thousand or two to save his, if the matter were laid before him.'

Pignaver saw that he must agree to the demand, for if he refused and
sought help elsewhere the Bravi would warn the musician and offer the
latter their protection. The Senator was uncomfortable in their company,
as many of his friends would have been; for if a born coward ever comes
into contact with such men, he regards them much as a timid woman looks
on a loaded gun. Though the two cut-throats behaved with the outward
courtesy of gentlemen, there was something terrifying in their looks
which it would ha