"You forget what an embarrassing position we shall be putting
ourselves in, Mr. Lyndon," he said with perfect good temper.
"Shielding a runaway convict is an indictable offence--to say nothing
of altering his appearance. As for the money"--he made a little
gesture of contempt--"well, do you think it would pay us to cheat you?
There is always the chance that a gentleman who can invent things like
this explosive and the Lyndon-Marwood torpedo may have other equally
satisfactory notions."

"Very well," I said quietly. "I will accept the offer on one
condition--that I can have a week in London before beginning work."

With an oath Savaroff started up from the window-sill.

"Gott in Himmel! and who are you to make terms?" he exclaimed roughly.
"Why, we have only to send you back to the prison and you will be
flogged like a dog!"

"In which distressing event," I observed, "you would not get your
explosive."

"My dear Savaroff," interrupted McMurtrie, soothingly, "there is
no need to threaten Mr. Lyndon. I am sure that he appreciates the
situation." Then he turned to me. "I suppose you have some reason for
making this condition?"

Silently in my heart I invoked the shade of Ananias.

"If you had been in Dartmoor three years," I said, with a rather