England is blocked."

"No route is ever blocked to me," he answered. "I leave for London at
midnight to-night, and Valerie accompanies me."

"You must be mad to think of such a thing!" I cried, Valerie's name
producing a sudden change in my behaviour toward him. "How can she
possibly do so? Remember how ill she is. It would be little short of
murder to move her."

"It will be nothing of the kind," he replied. "When I want her she will
rise from her bed and walk down stairs and go wherever I bid her,
looking to all appearances as well and strong as any other woman in this
town."

"By all means let us go to England then," I said, clutching eagerly at
the hope he held out. "Though how you are going to manage it I do not
know."

"You shall see," he said. "Remember, you have never known me fail. If
you would bear that fact in mind a little oftener, you would come nearer
a better appreciation of my character than that to which you have so far
attained. However, while we are wasting time talking, it is getting
late, and you have not dined yet. I suppose it is necessary for you to
eat, otherwise you will be incapable of anything?"

"I could not touch a thing," I answered in reply to his gibe. "You will
not therefore be hindered by me. But how can we go out and leave Valerie
behind in her present condition?"

"I shall give her an opiate," he said, "which will keep her sleeping
quietly for the next three or four hours. When she wakes she will be
capable of anything."

He thereupon left the room, and upward of a quarter of an hour elapsed
before he rejoined me. When he did, I noticed that he was dressed for
going out. I immediately picked up my hat and stick and followed him
down stairs. Once in the street, Pharos started off at a smart pace, and
as soon as he reached the corner, near the first chemist's shop I had
visited that afternoon, turned sharply to his left, crossed the road,
and entered a bye lane. The remainder of the journey was of too tortuous
a description for me to hope to give you any detailed account of it. Up
one back street and down another, over innumerable canals, we made our
way, until at last we reached a quarter of the town totally distinct
from that in which our hotel was situated. During the walk Pharos
scarcely spoke, but times out of number he threw angry glances at me
over his shoulder when I dropped a little behind. Indeed, he walked at
such a pace, old man though he was, that at times I fou