low," he began, as unconcernedly as his excitement would
permit, "what on earth do you mean? Help a Russian convict to escape?
Surely you must have taken leave of your senses."

"Look here," said Maas with unusual emphasis, "what is the use of your
attempting to keep a secret? Nature never intended you for a
conspirator. You may not have guessed it, but I have seen for some
considerable time past, long before we left Europe in fact, that there
was trouble in the wind. Otherwise, why do you think I should have
accompanied you to the East, so many thousand weary miles from Paris
and civilization?"

"Because your health was bad," Browne replied. "At least, that is what
you said yourself. Was that not so?"

"My health is as good as your own," the other answered. "No, Browne, I
invented that excuse because I wanted to come with you; because I had
some sort of notion of what you were about to do."

"But, even supposing it should be so, how could you have known it?"

"I will tell you. Do you remember the night at the Amphitryon Club
when you told me that you were thinking of taking a trip to the Farther
East?"

Browne admitted that he did remember it.

"Well, I happened to know who the lady was to whom you were paying such
marked attention. I happened to mention her name one day to an old
friend, who immediately replied, 'I know the young lady in question;
she is the daughter of the famous Polowski, the Nihilist, who was sent
to Siberia, and who is now confined upon the island of Saghalien.'
Then you spoke of your yachting voyage to the Farther East, and I put
two and two together, and resolved that, happen what might, I would see
you through the business. You see how candid I am with you."

"And do you mean to say that you knew all the time what I was going to
do?"

"All the time," said Maas. "Did not I give you a hint at breakfast on
the morning following our joining the yacht at Southampton? I am your
friend, Browne; and, as your friend, I want to be allowed to stand by
you in your hour of danger. For it is dangerous work you are engaged
upon, as I suppose you know."

"And do you really mean that you are going to help me to get this man
out of his place of captivity?" inquired Browne, putting on one side
the other's reference to their friendship.

"If you are going to do it, I'm certainly going to stand by you," Maas
replied. "That's why I am here."

"And all the time I was wishing you at Hanove