Furiously angry, he turned his head to see who had dared to lay hands upon his sacred person, and perceived that it was the odious Captain Fracasse.

“My lord duke,” said he calmly, still holding his wrist firmly, “Mademoiselle is in need of no assistance from you, or any one else, in this matter.”  Then his grasp relaxed and he let go of the duke’s arm.

Vallombreuse, who looked positively hideous at that moment, his face pale to ghastliness and disfigured by the rage he felt, grasped the hilt of his sword with the hand released by de Sigognac, and drew it partly out of its scabbard, as if he meant to attack him, his eyes flashing fire and every feature working in its frenzy—­the baron meanwhile standing perfectly motionless, quietly awaiting the onset.

But ere he had touched him the duke stopped short; a sudden thought had extinguished his blazing fury like a douche of cold water; his self-control returned, his face resumed its wonted expression, the colour came to his lips, and his eyes showed the most icy disdain, the most supreme contempt that it could be possible for one human being to manifest for another.  He had remembered just in time that he must not so greatly demean himself as to cross swords with a person of no birth, and an actor besides; all his pride revolted at the bare idea of such a thing.  An insult coming from a creature so low in the social scale could not reach him.  Does a gentleman declare war upon the mud that bespatters him?  However, it was not in his character to leave an offence unpunished, no matter whence it proceeded, and stepping nearer to de Sigognac he said, “You impertinent scoundrel, I will have every bone in your body broken for you with cudgels, by my lackeys.”

“You’d better take care what you do, my lord,” answered the baron, in the most tranquil tone and with the most careless air imaginable, “you’d much better take care what you do!  My bones are not so easily broken, but cudgels may be.  I do not put up with blows anywhere but on the stage.”

“However insolent you may choose to be, you graceless rascal, you cannot provoke me to do you so much honour as to attack you myself; that is too high an ambition for such as you to realize,” said Vallombreuse, scornfully.

“We will see about that, my lord duke,” de Sigognac replied; “it may happen that I, having less pride than yourself, will fight you, and conquer you, with my own hands.”

“I do not dispute with a masker,” said the duke shortly, taking Vidalinc’s arm as if to depart.

“I will show you my face, duke, at a more fitting time and place,” de Sigognac continued composedly, “and I think it will be still more distasteful to you than my false nose.  But enough for the present.  I hear the bell that summons me, and if I wait any longer here with you I shall miss my entry at the proper moment.”

He turned on his heel and leisurely walked off, with admirable nonchalance, leaving the haughty duke very much disconcerted, and at a disadvantage, as indeed de Sigognac had cleverly managed that he should be throughout the brief interview.