“Don’t give way, man. If I find that it is not safe for you to return here, I will interest myself to find you employment either in Paris or elsewhere. Don’t thank me, but prove your gratitude by going straight for the future;” and I hurried away. It was worth many times the money to secure the delay for Miralda, and his excessive gratitude tended to make me feel rather mean. Burroughs and Bryant had not returned when I reached my rooms, so I went once more carefully over every detail of my scheme in a kind of mental rehearsal. There was only one point which gave me any qualms now. We three had to get into the shed on the wharf without being seen and conceal ourselves, and yet be able to learn the precise moment of the king’s arrival. Burroughs had been worrying over the same thing, it turned out, and had not been idle. “We’ve made a useful friend, Ralph,” he said when he arrived. “Got hold of the wharf watchman. He’s a Spaniard, and Bryant’s Spanish came in very handy. He managed to find out how things go down there. He shuts the big shed at seven o’clock and we must be inside before then. We can manage it all right. That Bryant has his head screwed on the right way. He promised to go to the man’s house to-night at nine o’clock; so that if we show up about half-past six, he’s going to meet him and take him away while he explains why he can’t keep the appointment. We shall slip in then, and Bryant will get rid of him and join us by the back entrance. A screwdriver will do the rest.” “A screwdriver.” “We had a good look at the lock on that back door and five minutes will have it off.” “I’d been worrying about that part of the thing. But time’s getting on. We’d better have something to eat and get ready.” The business of dressing occupied some time. We all wore the hunting rigs over our ordinary clothes; as both Burroughs and Bryant were to get rid of theirs as soon as possible after the purpose for which they were needed was achieved. We sent Simmons and Foster off to the yacht and locked the flat up for the night. We looked rather like three squat square Dutchmen as we set off; but the long grey dustcoats rendered us sufficiently inconspicuous, and as the weather had changed and the light was bad, we attracted no attention in the streets. The wind was rising and a light rain falling, and there was every promise of a somewhat dirty night. This was all the better for our purpose. When we were near the landing-stage, Bryant went on ahead in search of the new friend he had made and presently we saw the two together close to the sheds. They stood talking for a few minutes and then walked away, and disappeared round the end of the further building. “He lives over that way,” said Burroughs. “We may safely go.” The rain was falling fast now and the wind coming in gusty squalls across the bay and not a soul was to be seen as we slipped into the shed.