"I prefer that you should be perfectly at liberty in the matter. I expect it to be thus: in your own mind at present you do not think that I shall carry out my purpose. Therefore, your friendship for me is undisturbed. Then you count that, if I do commit a crime, it will be some trivial one that you may bring your conscience to excuse, under the circumstances. But let us suppose that a really great crime should be reported, and for some reason you should suspect me. You will hurry to my rooms before I get out of bed, and ask me flatly whether I am guilty. As flatly I should refuse to enlighten you. You would take this as a confession of guilt. You would perhaps argue that if your surmise were correct you would be an accessory before the fact, and to shield yourself and do your duty you would make a clean breast of it." "I am beginning to be offended, Bob. I did not think you would trust me so little!" "Don't get angry, old man. Remember that only a few minutes ago you warned me that you would cut me dead after the crime. We artistic criminals must be prepared against every contingency." "I did not think when I spoke. I did not mean it." "Yes, you did, and I am not at all angry. Let it be understood then that you will be at liberty to repeat the facts about this wager should your conscience prick you. It will be best for me to expect and be prepared for such action. But you have not asked what the second danger of discovery is. Can you guess?" "Not unless you mean as you suggested, your own confession." "No, though that really makes a third chance. Yet it is so simple. Have you noticed that we can hear a man snoring?" "No!" "Listen a moment! Do you not hear that? It is not exactly a snore, but rather a troubled breathing. Now that man is in the third section from us. Do you see the point?" "I must confess that I would not make a detective." "Why, my dear boy, if we can hear that fellow, why may not some one in the next compartment be listening to our _tete-a-tete_?" Mr. Barnes fairly glowed with admiration for the fellow's careful consideration of every point. "Oh, I guess not. Everybody is asleep." "The common criminal from necessity takes chances like that, without counting on them. I shall not. There is a possibility, however remote, that some one, in Number Ten say, has overheard us. Again he may even be a detective, and worse yet it might be your Mr. Barnes himself." "Well, I must say if you prepare against such long odds as that you deserve to escape detection!"