Cosmo, putting the palms of his hands against the edge of the parapet, sprang lightly nearly to the middle of the platform and landed without a stagger. His voice was perfectly even. "Reason is my only guide," he declared. "But your request looks like mere caprice. For what can you possibly have to do here? The sea birds are gone to sleep and I have as much right to the air up here as you. Therefore . . ." A thought seemed to strike him. "Surely this can't be your trysting place," he commented in a changed tone through which pierced a certain sympathy. A short scornful laugh from the other checked him and he muttered to himself soberly, "No. Altogether unfit . . . amongst those grim old guns." He raised his voice. "All I can do is to give you all the room." He backed away from the centre of the platform and perched himself this time on the massive breech of a sixty-pounder. "Go on with your incantations," he said then to the tall and dim figure whose immobility appeared helpless for a moment. It broke the short period of silence, saying deliberately: "I suppose you are aware that at any time since we have begun to talk together it was open to me to fling myself upon you unawares as you sat on the parapet and knock you over to the bottom of this tower?" He waited a moment, then in a deeper tone, "Will you deny it?" he said. "No, I won't deny it," was the careless answer. "I hadn't thought to be on my guard. But I can swim." "Don't you know there is a border of big blocks of stone there? It would have been a terrible death. . . . And now, will the signore do what I ask him and return to his inn which is a much safer place than this platform?" "Safety is not a great inducement; and I don't believe for a moment you ever thought of attacking me in a treacherous manner." "Well," the tall shadowy figure crowned by the shape of the strange cap admitted reluctantly. "Well, since you put it in those words, signore, I did not." "You see! I believe you are a fine fellow. But as it is I am under no sort of obligation to listen to you." "You are crafty," burst out the other violently. "It's in the blood. How is one to deal with people like you?" "You could try to drive me off," suggested the other. There was no answer for a time, then the tall figure muttered reflectively to itself. "After all--he's an Englishman." "I don't think myself invincible on that account," observed Cosmo calmly. "I know. I have fought against English soldiers in Buenos Ayres. I was only thinking that, to give the devil his due, men of your nation don't consort with spies or love tyranny either. . . . Tell me, is it true that you have only been two hours in this town?" "Perfectly true." "And yet all the tyrants of the world are your allies," the shadowy man pursued his train of thought half aloud. The no less shadowy traveller remarked quietly into the gathering night: "You don't know who my friends are."