His fat, flabby face paled slightly, and I went on to give a vivid and coloured picture of the risks, until he was obviously very much frightened indeed. "And you are going to such a place?" he asked, looking at me as though I were a madman. "Oh yes, why not? It’s so difficult to find a little excitement nowadays," I said, in a rather languid, bored tone. "You’ll find it pleasant enough after a bit." "No thank you, sir. David Hunter doesn’t travel in bullets and guns and explosives. My skin ain’t warranted not to puncture either. It’s out of my line altogether. But if you really mean that you are going, that you’re really bent on going——" he stopped and looked at me. "Well?" "I wouldn’t do a blessed thing to persuade any fellow creature to shove his head into such a devil’s pit, but if you are going, perhaps you wouldn’t mind undertaking a little commission for me." "Not the least in the world. What is it?" "It’s only to deliver a few samples—they aren’t big enough to bother you, and just say they’re from me," and he gave me particulars of what he wanted. "It wouldn’t take me an hour, and I’d be awfully obliged to you, and so would my firm." "I don’t care a cent for your firm, but I’ll do it to oblige you, Mr. Hunter, if you think you can trust me with the samples." "I hope I know a gentleman when I see one, Mr. Glisfoyle; and you’re one of the right sort. Besides, the samples are of no great value;" and this excellent caution made me smile. "I won’t run away with them, anyhow; and if you’ll go to the station when the time comes and get me a ticket—get a return if you can, and if any questions are asked just give your own name and the lace business as the reason for the journey, and you may consider the thing settled." I handed him a bank-note. "Oh, you think they mightn’t let you go then?" he said, shrewdly. "They will let a man with definite business to do pass much more readily than one who can plead nothing more than a wish to see the fun." He gave me a meaning look, a knowing twist of the head, and a wink. "I twig. I’ll soon have a ticket," he said, and went off briskly. He was soon back with the ticket. "It’s all right. I gave a card and showed ’em my samples, and that did the trick. And if you don’t mind my giving you a wrinkle, you take my case with you and some of my cards. Looks workmanlike;" and seeing the policy of it, I accepted the case. "We’ll go over together when the train’s due out," I said; "and as there might still be some questions asked, you’d better appear to be going until the last moment."