“Don’t you?” replied Caliphronas provokingly, as they walked up to the house together. “Well, that remains to be seen. If a man of my capacity”—

“Cunning.”

“Well, cunning if you like. If a man of my cunning cannot circumvent this dull-headed”—

“Cautious.”

“Oh, is he cautious? Well, I will make this cautious Englishman do as I wish. But here we are nearly at the house, and I wait to know on what footing we stand.”

“You are an acquaintance of mine. I met you at Athens. Talk of the best-known Athenians as our mutual friends.”

“And you will say nothing about Melnos?”

“No.”

“Nor about Justinian?”

“No.”