he came and sat down by our side. Mrs. Simons at once began to talk at
him in English. I offered to act as interpreter with a view to
protecting her from herself. The king, however, thanked me coldly, and
called to one of his brigands who knew English.

As I had foreseen, Mrs. Simons spoke very largely about her great wealth
and her high position. The result was that the king fixed her ransom and
that of Mary Ann at £4,000. I was determined that he should not
over-estimate my resources.

"It's no good putting a ransom on me," I exclaimed. "My father is a poor
German innkeeper who has been ruined by the railway. I've been forced to
leave home and come to Greece, where I earn a beggarly £10 a month."

"If that is so," said the king, very kindly, "you can return to Athens
at once, or stay here for a few days."

"I shall be happy to stay," I replied, "if you will return the
collecting-case your men took from me. I want to go botanising."

"What! You are a man of science!" cried the king joyfully. "Ah, how I
admire knowledge! Who sent you here to collect our plants? Some famous
university, I'll be bound."

"I'm collecting on behalf of the Hamburg Botanical Gardens," I answered.

"And do you think, my dear friend," said the king, "that a great
institution like the Hamburg Botanical Gardens would let a man of your
worth perish rather than pay his ransom of £600? Happy young man! You
now see the value of a sound, scientific education. Had you been an