‘I need hardly remind you,’ said Vandeloup, in a pleasant voice, ’that when we landed in Australia I told you that there was war between ourselves and society, and that, at any cost, we must try to make money; so far, we have only been able to earn an honest livelihood—­a way of getting rich which you must admit is remarkably slow.  Here, however, is a chance of making, if not a fortune, at least a good sum of money at one stroke.  This M. Villiers is going to rob his wife, and his plan will no doubt be this:  he will lie in wait for her, and when she drives slowly down the hill, he will spring on to the trap and perhaps attempt to kill her; at all events, he will seize the box containing the nugget, and try to make off with it.  How he intends to manage it I cannot tell you—­it must be left to the chapter of accidents; but,’ in a lower voice, bending forward, ‘when he does get the nugget we must obtain it from him.’

Pierre looked up and drew his hand across his throat.

‘Not necessarily,’ returned Vandeloup, coolly; ’I know your adage, “dead men tell no tales,” but it is a mistake—­they do, and to kill him is dangerous.  No, if we stun him we can go off with the nugget, and then make our way to Melbourne, where we can get rid of it quietly.  As to Madame Midas, if her husband allows her to live—­ which I think is unlikely—­I will make our excuses to her for leaving the mine.  Now, I’m going up to M. Marchurst’s house, so you can meet me at the top of the hill, at eight o’clock tonight.  Madame will probably start at half-past eight or nine, so that will give us plenty of time to see what M. Villiers is going to do.’

They both rose to their feet.  Then Vandeloup put on his hat, and, going to the glass, arranged his tie in as cool and nonchalant a manner as if he had been merely planning the details for a picnic instead of a possible crime.  While admiring himself in the glass he caught sight of the bunch of flowers given to him by Miss Twexby, and, taking them from his coat, he turned round to Pierre, who stood watching him in his usual sullen manner.

‘Do you see these?’ he asked, touching the white blossoms with the cigarette he held between his fingers.

Pierre intimated that he did.

‘From the plant of these, my friend,’ said Vandeloup, looking at them critically, ’I can prepare a vegetable poison as deadly as any of Caesar Borgia’s.  It is a powerful narcotic, and leaves hardly any trace.  Having been a medical student, you know,’ he went on, conversationally, ’I made quite a study of toxicology, and the juice of this plant,’ touching the white flower, ’has done me good service, although it was the cause of my exile to New Caledonia.  Well,’ with a shrug of the shoulders as he put the flowers back in his coat, ’it is always something to have in reserve; I did not know that I could get this plant here, my friend.  But now that I have I will prepare a little of this poison,—­it will always be useful in emergencies.’