"Ah!—you didn't know that, did you?" he said. "I stole them from you while you slept; I saw my chance there. It only occurred to me, after I had seen you show them to Dawkins, that I might slip away like that, and never be heard of again; I might drop off at some foreign port, and be lost."
"You're too late," I reminded him, with a laugh. "The Eaglet sailed this morning."
"You're wrong," he exclaimed, dragging the envelope out again. "Either you made a mistake in the date, or the clerk did; the Eaglet sails to-morrow morning."
"Are you sure?" I asked in amazement.
For answer he carefully pulled the tickets out, and, keeping a grip on them, let me read the date. Sure enough some one had blundered, for the date was that of the following day.
"Now, Charlie," he whispered, laying an impressive hand on my arm—"the way is clear. Come with me, Charlie—Tinman, the servant, travelling with Murray Olivant. Murray Olivant is expected on board, and his passage is taken; Tinman, his servant, goes with him. As for this thing that lies here"—he jerked his head to indicate the dead man—"who is ever to say that this is Murray Olivant. A chance, Charlie; but all the world is made up of chances, isn't it? Come, Charlie—the road lies clear before us."
"No," I said—"I have other work to do. If you can escape, do so by all means; I will not leave England."
He got his hat from that inner room, and prepared to depart. I had put the keys back on the table, and I saw him eyeing them; I took the key I had from my pocket, and dropped it with the others. "It's a great game of chance," I whispered to him, "and you may never be discovered, after all. Come away—and leave him there; you are safe so far as I am concerned."
He went to the door and opened it; at a sign from me he waited at that outer door, to be certain that no one was about. Then I blew out the candle, and crept out to join him; and for a moment we stood close together, listening. Then he opened the door, and slipped out, and I came after him. I pulled the door, and heard the lock click; and knew that the ghastly thing inside was safely shut in, until some one should break down the door, and find it.