e
matter with the rest of the party, coming to the conclusion that they
would be quite justified, under the circumstances, in accepting the
services of these men; and on the morning following the armourer's
death--Lance having enjoyed a good night's rest--his opinion was taken
upon the question, with the view of giving the men an answer forthwith.

Evelin listened attentively to everything that was said; and then
remarked--

"Well, gentlemen, I quite agree with you that the assistance which the
men have it in their power to afford us would be most valuable; it would
clear away a good many of our difficulties and would go a long way
toward ensuring success in our endeavour to escape--an endeavour which I
must confess I have always secretly regarded with a considerable amount
of doubt and misgiving. It has always presented itself to me as an
undertaking of a decidedly desperate character; and now it appears more
so than ever, having regard to the very disagreeable change in Ralli's
treatment of us. The only question in my mind is one of duty--duty to
our country and to the world at large. We must not forget that the men
who now come to us with offers of assistance are men who have, in the
past, outraged every law, human and divine; and justice demands that
they shall be delivered up to punishment. Now, if we accept their
services _we_ certainly cannot afterwards denounce them; it would be
rank treachery on our part. How do you propose to overcome this
difficulty?"

"We have thought of that," replied Captain Staunton; "it is the only
question which has bothered us; and, for my own part, I can only see one
solution of it. No word has, it is true, been said by them as to our
keeping their secret, but I think there can be no doubt that such a
stipulation was intended to be understood; and in any case I fully agree
with you that we cannot justly avail ourselves of their assistance and
afterwards hand them over to the authorities. My view of the case is
this. Here we are, in what is beyond all doubt a most desperate scrape.
A chance--and a very slight chance it is--offers for our escape, and
most opportunely these men come forward with an offer of assistance. If
we let slip this slight chance it is extremely doubtful whether we shall
ever have another; and that, I imagine--taking into account the future
possibilities of evil in store for the helpless women dependent upon
us--counts for something, and justifies us is