Dr. Peterssen and Leonard had met in Australia, and had struck up an acquaintance there. _Arcades ambo_. It would not have been to their credit if some of their mutual experiences were known. Leonard was painfully conscious of the fact, and could not just at this moment make up his mind whether the meeting was one to be hailed with satisfaction, or the reverse. He knew Dr. Peterssen to be ripe for any villainy, and at this juncture it might be handy to have such a friend near him; but how far would it be safe to trust the man? "What brings you here, Peterssen?" "Business, Royce, business. I have a mission." "You remind me," said Leonard, with an awkward smile. "When I was at the antipodes I thought the name of Royce an easy one to go by." "But it was not your own." "It was not my own." "What I always admired in you," said Dr. Peterssen, "was your candor. The soul of truth, upon my honor! I used to ask of myself, 'Can Royce lie?' Excuse my sticking to the name till you supply me with another. Yes, I used to ask of myself, 'Can Royce lie?' There was but one invariable answer, 'No, he cannot.'" The laugh with which he accompanied his words was so distinctly opposed to their sense that Leonard's face flushed, and Dr. Peterssen laughed still louder when he observed this sign of emotion. Of all the men whom Leonard had met in the course of his varied experiences Dr. Peterssen was the only one whom he was conscious he could not deceive. Peterssen spoke good English, with just a touch of foreign accent. He was by descent a Dane, and was a past-master in every species of craft and villainy. It would not have been easy to find his match in a scheme of evil cunning. Leonard was smooth-spoken, suave, and persuasive; Dr. Peterssen was brutally outspoken, calling a spade a spade, and, if it served his purpose, something worse--never something better. "Don't be a fool, Peterssen," said Leonard. "You are lying yourself, and you know it." "True, true, Royce--but really this is awkward, addressing a friend by a name he has no right to bear. What name do you pass by now?" "My own," replied Leonard, convinced that Dr. Peterssen would bring him to the proof through other persons; "Paget." "Christian name?" "Leonard." "Mr. Leonard Paget. Rather nice-sounding. When did you arrive here?" "This evening." "When do you leave?" "I can't say." "You can, Leonard, you can." "I tell you I cannot." "Let us test it. I have something of the breed of your English mastiff in me. Do you go away to-morrow?" "I think not." "On the following day?" "It is uncertain." "Your movements, then, do not depend entirely upon yourself? You are not alone?" "Am I in the witness-box," demanded Leonard, beginning to lose his temper.