eems that we have all the same kind of morality
or immorality, so we had better face the fact that comes of it."

"Yes," assented the Professor, "you're quite right; and we must hurry
up, for I can see the Grey Nose standing out from France."

"The fact that comes of it," said Syme seriously, "is this, that we
three are alone on this planet. Gogol has gone, God knows where; perhaps
the President has smashed him like a fly. On the Council we are three
men against three, like the Romans who held the bridge. But we are worse
off than that, first because they can appeal to their organization and
we cannot appeal to ours, and second because--"

"Because one of those other three men," said the Professor, "is not a
man."

Syme nodded and was silent for a second or two, then he said--

"My idea is this. We must do something to keep the Marquis in Calais
till tomorrow midday. I have turned over twenty schemes in my head. We
cannot denounce him as a dynamiter; that is agreed. We cannot get him
detained on some trivial charge, for we should have to appear; he knows
us, and he would smell a rat. We cannot pretend to keep him on anarchist
business; he might swallow much in that way, but not the notion of
stopping in Calais while the Czar went safely through Paris. We might
try to kidnap him, and lock him up ourselves; but he is a well-known man
here. He has a whole bodyguard of friends; he is very strong and brave,
and the event is doubtful. The only thing I can see to do is actually to
take advantage of the very things that are in the Marquis's favour. I am
going to profit by the fact that he is a highly respected nobleman. I
am going to profit by the fact that he has many friends and moves in the
best society."

"What the devil are you talking about?" asked the Professor.

"The Symes are first mentioned in the fourteenth century," said
Syme; "but there is a tradition that one of them rode behind Bruce at
Bannockburn. Since 1350 the tree is quite clear."

"He's gone off his head," said the little Doctor, staring.

"Our bearings," continued Syme calmly, "are 'argent a chevron gules
charged with three cross crosslets of the field.' The motto varies."

The Professor seized Syme roughly by the waistcoat.

"We are just inshore," he said. "Are you seasick or joking in the wrong
place?"

"My remarks are almost painfully practical," answered Syme, in an
unhurried manner. "The house of St. Eustache also is very ancient. The
Ma