her ways. He had always been well supplied
with money, so that when necessity demanded he had no difficulty in
collecting several hundred pounds. Some of this money he invested in
various strange purchases which he managed to smuggle into the house,
undetected, when he returned late in the afternoon.

The next morning, after giving his father time to precede him and
conclude his business with Paulvitch, the lad hastened to the Russian's
room. Knowing nothing of the man's true character the boy dared not
take him fully into his confidence for fear that the old fellow would
not only refuse to aid him, but would report the whole affair to his
father. Instead, he simply asked permission to take Ajax to Dover. He
explained that it would relieve the old man of a tiresome journey, as
well as placing a number of pounds in his pocket, for the lad purposed
paying the Russian well.

"You see," he went on, "there will be no danger of detection since I am
supposed to be leaving on an afternoon train for school. Instead I
will come here after they have left me on board the train. Then I can
take Ajax to Dover, you see, and arrive at school only a day late. No
one will be the wiser, no harm will be done, and I shall have had an
extra day with Ajax before I lose him forever."

The plan fitted perfectly with that which Paulvitch had in mind. Had
he known what further the boy contemplated he would doubtless have
entirely abandoned his own scheme of revenge and aided the boy whole
heartedly in the consummation of the lad's, which would have been
better for Paulvitch, could he have but read the future but a few short
hours ahead.

That afternoon Lord and Lady Greystoke bid their son good-bye and saw
him safely settled in a first-class compartment of the railway carriage
that would set him down at school in a few hours. No sooner had they
left him, however, than he gathered his bags together, descended from
the compartment and sought a cab stand outside the station. Here he
engaged a cabby to take him to the Russian's address. It was dusk when
he arrived. He found Paulvitch awaiting him. The man was pacing the
floor nervously. The ape was tied with a stout cord to the bed. It
was the first time that Jack had ever seen Ajax thus secured. He
looked questioningly at Paulvitch. The man, mumbling, explained that
he believed the animal had guessed that he was to be sent away and he
feared he would attempt to escape.

Paulv