“Never, sir,” cried the lawyer. “You two may, but I am going through Asia Minor with a snuff-box and a walking-stick. Those will be enough for me.”
“Where can we get arms?” said the professor smiling.
“At Politanie’s, sir, about fifty yards from here. You will find him a very straightforward tradesman. Of course his prices are higher than you would pay in London; but he will not supply you with anything that is untrustworthy. Perhaps you may as well say that you are friends of our consul, and that I advised you.”
“It is absurd!” exclaimed Mr Burne, as soon as they were alone. “What do you say, Lawrence, my boy? You don’t believe in weapons of war, I’m sure.”
“No,” replied Lawrence quietly.
“There, professor.”
“But,” continued Lawrence, “I believe in being safe. I feel sure that the people will respect us all the more for being armed.”
“And would you use a sword, sir?” cried the lawyer fiercely.
Lawrence drew his sleeve back from his thin arm, gazed at it mournfully, and then looked up in a wistful half-laughing way at his two friends.
“I don’t think I could even pull it out of the sheath,” he said sadly.