ckmail, even if he had dared,
after what has passed; so I think he may be left out of the question
altogether. You will not, I am sure, think of handing the man over to
the police."

Stratton was silent for a few moments.

"No," he said at last; "it is impossible."

"I thought you would feel like this," said Brettison. "Let the poor
wretch end his days in peace."

"At your cost?" said Stratton sharply.

"Oh, pooh! A mere nothing, my dear boy," cried Brettison; "and I am not
poor."

"I cannot allow that," said Stratton, after a few moments' thought; "and
we must do something else. There should be no risk of those two ever
coming face to face again."

"Well, is it likely? West End and East End do not often mix."

"No, but there is always the possibility. An accident might bring Myra
to some spot where he had been taken. Who can guard against such
things?"

"None of us; but I thought I had taken precautions enough."

"But we must take the greatest," said Stratton excitedly.

"What would you do?"

Stratton made no reply, and seemed so plunged in thought that Brettison
respected his silence, and they rode back together, with the old man's
face lighting up as he felt more at rest and satisfied with the way in
which matters had shaped themselves.

They reached the narrow entrance to the inn in due course, and Stratton
led the way up into his chambers, closed the door, and pointed to a
seat, but kept on pacing the room himself; thoughtful and silent, as if
some doubt as to his course were still lingering in his mind.

At last he threw himself into a chair.

"This is neither the time nor place to talk of your devotion to me,
Brettison. Heaven reward you for it! You have brought me back to a
new, even if hopeless, life. Let us now talk of the future."

"Yes, yes," said Brettison eagerly, for he had grown uneasy at his
friend's words.

"There must never be the slightest risk of Myra and that man meeting
again. Here in England it would always be possible."

"No, no; don't say you will send the poor wretch back to the prison."

"No; as I have said before, that is out of the question now, but he must
leave England."

"Yes; but how?"

"You must help me again, Brettison."

"Of course, boy; but how?"

"You are a wanderer; ready to go anywhere to study plant life?"

"Yes."

"Then you must select some place to begin with and settle there for a
time--say in Brittany, inland or on the coast. Let