Would he take you in that case?"
"He must or he'd give himself away!"
"True for you, Roger. But how are we going to open negotiations without
arousing suspicion? One might as well face all the difficulties."
"Oh, we can easily fix that up," said I. "My guardians will write and say
they have heard of his excellent system, et cetera, and have hopes of
making arrangements with the naval authorities, and so on. There will be
no difficulty at all so far as that part goes."
"But, my dear chap, when you'd got there they'd spot you."
"With this beard--dyed black?" I cried, as inspiration trod on
inspiration's heels. "And a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and this
limp--which will hide even my walk, and a complete change of clothes;
who will spot me? Remember I was only there for a very few days six
months ago."
"Your voice?"
"I only spoke in my natural voice to the two Rendalls; never to the
doctor; in fact I've only met him once."
"But his cousins saw a good deal of you."
"I haven't been on the stage for nothing," I assured him. "I'll change my
voice very little, not enough to make it difficult to keep up--throw in a
lisp or something of that kind. You can trust me to do the thing
thoroughly, Jack."
My cousin looked at me carefully.
"Yes," he admitted, "I think you are changed enough already to puzzle
'em; and with your beard dyed black--by the way, don't forget to dye
your hair too, old chap!--and glasses, et cetera, by jingo I do believe
you'll pass!"
"Now the thing is how to get permission: first, leave for me, and second,
leave to land an alcoholic on the island.
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