His assistance had been invoked and secured
under the pretence that his clients were promoting an amateur firework
display, which was true enough, but the display cost the lives of
three men, and intentionally so. I cheered up the citizen in the
moment of his utmost despair, and brought such proof of his innocence
to the knowledge of those above me that he was most reluctantly
acquitted. To this man I now went with my measurement of the bomb and
the estimate of its weight.
'Sir,' said I, 'do you remember Eugene Valmont?'
'Am I ever likely to forget him?' he replied, with a fervour that
pleased me.
'He has sent me to you, and implores you to aid me, and that aid will
wipe out the debt you owe him.'
'Willingly, willingly,' cried the artisan, 'so long as it has nothing
to do with the anarchists or the making of bombs.'
'It has to do exactly with those two things. I wish you to make an
innocent bomb which will prevent an anarchist outrage.'
At this the little man drew back, and his face became pale.
'It is impossible,' he protested; 'I have had enough of innocent
bombs. No, no, and in any case how can I be sure you come from Eugene
Valmont? No, monsieur, I am not to be trapped the second time.
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