"That's what I want to talk with you about," answered the other. "The rest of the folks on this boat don't know anything about us--not a blessed thing. The officers don't know--nor the crew, nor any of the passengers, I reckon. To them we're just two ordinary Americans crossing the ocean together on business or pleasure. You give me your promise not to make any breaks of any sort, and I'll take those things off you and not put them on again until just before we land. You know I want to make this trip as easy as I can for you." "What earthly difference would it make whether I gave you my promise or not? Suppose, as you put it, I did make a break? Where would I break for out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? Are you still afraid of yourself?" "Certainly not; certainly I ain't afraid. At that, you've been back and forth plenty of times across the ocean, and you know all the ropes on a ship and I don't. Still, I ain't afraid. But I'd like to have your promise." "I won't give it," said he of the handcuffs promptly. "I'm through with making offers to you. Four days ago when you caught up with me, I told you I would go with you and make no resistance--make no attempt to get away from you--if you'd only leave my limbs free. You knew as well as I did that I was willing to waive extradition and go back without any fuss or any delay, in order to keep my people in this country from finding out what a devil's mess I'd gotten myself into over on the other side. You knew I was not really a criminal, that I'd done nothing at all which an American court would construe as a crime. You knew that because I was an American the British courts would probably be especially hard upon me. And you knew too--you found that part out for yourself without my telling you--that I was intending to go back to England at the first chance. You knew that all I needed was a chance to get at certain papers and documents and produce them in open court to prove that I was being made a scapegoat; you knew that if I had just two days free on British soil, in which to get the books from the place those lying partners of mine hid them, I could save myself from doing penal servitude. That was why I meant to go back of my own accord. That was why I offered to give you my word of honour that I would not attempt to get away. Did you listen? No!" "Well, didn't I make the whole thing as easy for you as I could?" protested his companion. He spoke as if in self-defence, or at least in extenuation. "Easy? Didn't you put these things on me? Haven't I worn them every minute since then, awake or asleep, except when I was dressing or undressing?"