legs were dangling like a child's--he regarded me intently.

"Would you be equally chivalrous for the sake of an idea?"

I replied that I hoped I should conduct myself _en galant homme_ in any
circumstances.

"I knew it," he cried. "My intuition is never wrong. An English
statesman is as fearless as Agamemnon, and as wise as Nestor. Have you
your evening free?"

"Yes," I replied wonderingly.

"Would you care to devote it to a perilous adventure? Not so perilous,
for I"--he thumped his chest--"will be there. But still _molto
gefahrlich_."

His black eyes held mine in burning intensity. So as to hide a smile I
lit a cigarette. I know not what little imp in motley possessed me that
evening. He seemed to hit me over the head with his bladder, and counsel
me to play the fool like himself, for once in my life before I died. I
could almost hear him speaking.

"Surely a crazy dwarf out of a nightmare is more entertaining company
than decayed Colonels of British Cavalry."

I blew two or three puffs of my cigarette, and met my guest's eager
gaze.

"I shall be happy to put myself at your disposal," said I. "May I ask,
without indiscretion--?"

"No, no," he interrupted, "don't ask. Secrecy is part of the gigantic
combination. _En galant homme_, I require of you--confidence."

With an irresistible touch of mockery I said: "Professor Papadopoulos,
I will be happy to follow you blindfold to the lair of whatever
fire-breathing dragon you may want me to help you destroy."

He rose and grasped his hat and made me a profound bow.

"You will not find me wanting in courage, Monsieur. There is
another small favour I would ask of you. Will you bring some of your
visiting-cards?"

"With pleasure," said I.

At that moment the gong clanged loudly through the hotel.

"It is your dinner-hour," said the dwarf. "I depart. Our rendezvous--"

"Let us have no rendezvous, my dear Professor," I interposed. "What more
simple than that you should do me the pleasure of dining with me here?
We can thus fortify ourselves with food and drink for our adventure, and
we can start on it comfortably together whenever it seems good to you."

The little man put his head on one side and looked at me in an odd way.

"Do you mean," he asked in a softened voice, "that you ask me to dine
with you in the midst of your aristocratic compatriots?"

"Why, evidently," said I, baffled. "It's only an ordinary table d'hote
dinner."

To my astonishment,