malice. For the time being you must look upon me as your
father-confessor."

"In point of fact, Jimmy," Browne began, "I have just seen our friend
Maas."

"Well, what of that?" replied the other. "How has that upset you?
From what I know of him, Maas is usually amusing, except when he gets
on the topic of his ailments."

"That's exactly it," said Browne. "He got on the subject of his
ailments with me. The upshot of it all was that he reminded me of an
invitation I had given him in Paris, half in jest, mind you, to visit
the East with me."

"The deuce!" said Jimmy. "Do you mean to say that he has decided to
accompany us, now?"

"That's just it," said Browne. "That's why I'm so annoyed; and yet I
don't know exactly why I should be, for, all things considered, he is
not a bad sort of a fellow."

"Nevertheless, I wish he were not coming with us," said Jimmy, with
unwonted emphasis. "Did you tell him anything of what you are going to
do?"

"Of course not," said Browne. "I did not even hint at it. As far as
he knows, I am simply visiting Japan in the ordinary way, for pleasure."

"Well, if I were you," said Jimmy, "I should let him remain in that
belief. I should not say anything about the real reason at all, and
even then not until we are on the high seas. Of course I don't mean to
imply, for an instant, that he would be likely to say anything, or to
give you away in any possible sort of fashion; but still it would be
safer, I should think, to keep silence on the subject. You know what
we are going to do, I know it, Miss Petrovitch knows it, and Madame
Bernstein also. Who else is there you have told?"

"No one," said Browne. "But I dropped a hint to Mason that the errand,
that was taking us out, was a peculiar one. I thought he ought to know
as much as that for more reasons than one."

"Quite right," said Jimmy; "and what's more, you can trust Mason.
Nevertheless, say nothing to Maas."

"You may depend upon it I will not do so," said Browne.

"Now here's the club," said Jimmy, as they reached the building in
question. "Let us go in and have some luncheon. After that what are
you going to do?"

"I am off to Paris this afternoon," the other replied. "Madame
Bernstein and Miss Petrovitch leave for Japan in one of the French
boats the day after to-morrow, and I want to see them before they go."

After luncheon with Foote, Browne returned to his house, wrote a letter
containing the most minute