“Ah, why!” echoed Santos, with a smile and a shake of the head; a suspicious tolerance, an ostentatious truce, upon his parchment face. And already he was sufficiently relieved to suck his cigarette alight again.

“You know why,” I said, trusting to bluff honesty with the one of them 杭州哪里有特色足浴 who was not rotten to

the core: “because I still meant escaping.”

“And then what?” asked Rattray fiercely.

“You had given me my chance,” I said; “I hould have given you yours.”

“You would, would you? Very kind of you, Mr. Cole!”

“No, no,” said Santos; “not kind, but clever! Clever, spicious, and queeck-weeted beyond belif! Senhor Rattray, we have all been in the dark; we thought we had fool to die with, but what admirable knave the young man would make! Such readiness, such resource, with his tongue or with his peestol; how useful would it be to us! I am glad you have decided to live him to me, friend Rattray, for I am quite come round to your way of thinking. It is no longer necessary for him to die!”

“You mean that?” cried Rattray keenly.

“Of course I min it. You were quite right. He must join us. But he will when 杭州丝袜会所 I talk to him.”

I could not speak. I was fascinated by this wretch: it was reptile and rabbit with us. Treachery I knew he meant; my death, for one; my death was certain; and yet I could not speak.

“Then talk to him, for God’s sake,” cried Rattray, “and I shall be only too glad if you can talk some sense into him. I’ve tried, and failed.”

“I shall not fail,” said Santos softly. “But it is better that he has a leetle time to think over it calmly; better steel for ‘im to slip upon it, as you say. Let us live ‘im for the night, what there is of it; time enough in the morning.”

I could hardly believe my ears; still I knew that it was treachery, all treachery; and the morning I should never see.

“But we can’t leave him up here,” said Rattray; “it would mean one of us watching him all night.”

“Quite so,” said Santos. “I 杭州保健油压 will tell you where we could live him, however, if you will allow me to wheesper one leetle moment.”

They drew aside; and, as I live, I thought that little moment was to be Rattray’s last on earth. I watched, but nothing happened; on the contrary, both men seemed agreed, the Portuguese gesticulating, the Englishman nodding, as they stood conversing at the window. Their faces were strangely reassuring. I began to reason with myself, to rid my mind of mere presentiment and superstition. If these two really were at one about me (I argued) there might be no treachery after all. When I came to think of it, Rattray had been closeted long enough with me to awake the worst suspicions in the breasts of his companions; now that these were allayed, there might be no more bloodshed after all (if, for example, I pretended to give in), even 杭州桑拿介绍 though Santos had not cared whose blood was shed a few minutes since. That was evidently the character of the wretch: to compass his ends or to defend his person he would 杭州丝袜足浴上门 take life with no more compunction than the ordinary criminal takes money; but (and hence) murder for murder’s sake was no amusement to him.

My confidence was further restored by Captain Harris; ever a gross ruffian, with no refinements to his rascality, he had been at the brandy bottle after Rattray’s example; and now was dozing on the latter’s bed, taking his watch below when he could get it, like the good seaman he had been. I was quite sorry for him when the conversation at the window ceased suddenly, and Rattray roused the captain up.