"Are you there?" came a voice.
"Is that you, Smithers?" said the Professor, in blank amazement.
"It is, Blyth. How's your temperature? You'll find the thermometer on the telephone where you left it."
"You scoundrel! You consummate scoundrel! How did you get out?"
"For goodness' sake, Blyth, keep cool."
"If you don't release me immediately I'll hand you over to the police."
"You can't get 'em, old man. You can only talk to me."
"What have you done with the radium?"
"Got it here, Blyth; and I'm taking ever such a lot of care of it. I read all about it before I came, and I know just what it fancies. I brought a nice quarter-inch thick lead case, with a smaller one fixed inside, and the half-inch of intervening space made up with quicksilver. I've had the radium in the inner case most of the time, and it's as quiet as a lamb, nicely bottled up with its rays. In fact, I think it's gone to sleep. I've had quite a cheerful time with you to talk to, Blyth. You don't know how amusing you've been."
"Smithers," stuttered the Professor, "you are an insolent fellow as well as a consummate scoundrel."