Book excerpt: If you think the title is reminiscent of 'The Barber of Seville' you are not wrong. This story is set in 17th-century Paris, a very different place from the one that exists today. Then it was muddy, dirty and a den of iniquity on the streets. Not a safe place to be. The barber of the title is a man called Touquet, who despite his colorful past, has managed to become a home-owner. He has a fierce housekeeper and a female 16-year-old ward. Also on the scene is the avaricious 'villain' Monsieur Chevalier Chaudoreille. The stage is now set for a comedic romp of a story.