hat being so, Nikola wants to procure you for some
purpose of his own in Australia. Your father advertises for a tutor; he
sends one of his agents--Baxter--to secure the position. Baxter, at
Nikola's instruction, puts into your head a desire for travel. You
pester your father for the necessary permission. Just as this is granted
I come upon the scene. Baxter suspects me. He telegraphs to Nikola 'The
train is laid,' which means that he has begun to sow the seeds of a
desire for travel, when a third party steps in--in other words, I am the
new danger that has arisen. He arranges your sailing, and all promises
to go well. Then Dr. Nikola finds out I intend going in the same boat.
He tries to prevent me; and I--by Jove! I see another thing. Why did
Baxter suggest that you should cross the Continent and join the boat at
Naples? Why, simply because if you had started from Plymouth you would
soon have got over your sickness, if you had ever been ill at all, and
in that case the passengers would have become thoroughly familiar with
your face by the time you reached Port Said. That would never have done,
so he takes you to Naples, drugs you next morning--for you must remember
you were ill after the coffee he gave you--and by that means kept you
ill and confined to your cabin throughout the entire passage to Port
Said. Then he persuades you to go ashore with me. You do so, with what
result you know. Presently he begins to bewail your non-return, invites
the agent to help in the search. They set off, and eventually find you
near the Arab quarter. You must remember that neither the agent, the
captain, nor the passengers have seen you, save at night, so the
substitute, who is certain to have been well chosen and schooled for the
part he is to play, is not detected. Then the boat goes on her way,
while we are left behind languishing in durance vile."

"What do you advise me to do? Remember, Baxter has letters to the
different Governors from my father."

"I know what I should do myself!"

"Go to the consul and get him to warn the authorities in Australia, I
suppose?"

"No. That would do little or no good--remember, they've got three weeks'
start of us."

"Then what shall we do? I'm in your hands entirely, and whatever you
advise I promise you I'll do."

"If I were you I should doff my title, take another name, and set sail
with me for Australia. Once there, we'll put up in some quiet place and
set ourselves to unmask these rasc