a man of sixty, the other some five or six and twenty.

"I must do something," the younger man said, "for I have been kicking my

heels about London since my ship was paid off two years ago. At first, of

course, it didn't matter, for I have enough to live upon; but recently I

have been fool enough to fall in love with a girl whose parents would

never dream of allowing her to marry a half-pay lieutenant of the navy

with no chance in the world of getting employed again, for I have no

interest whatever."

"It is an awkward case certainly, Prendergast," the other said; "and upon

my word, though I sympathize with you, I cannot blame Fortescue. He is not

what you might call a genial man, but there is no doubt that he was a

splendid lawyer and a wonderful worker. For ten years he earned more than

any man at the bar. I know that he was twice offered the solicitor-

generalship, but as he was making two or three times the official salary,

he would not take it. I believe he would have gone on working till now had

he not suddenly come in for a very fine estate, owing to the death, in the

course of two or three years, of four men who stood between him and it.

Besides, I fancy he got hints that in the general opinion of the bar he

had had a wonderfully good innings, and it was about time that younger men

had a share in it. What his savings were I do not know, but they must be

very large. His three sons are all at the bar, and are rising men, so

there was no occasion for him to go on piling up money for them. But, as I

say, he has always had the reputation of being a hard man, and it is

practically certain that he would never allow his daughter to marry a man

whom he would regard as next door to a pauper. Now, what are you thinking

of doing?"

"Well, sir, Miss Fortescue has agreed to wait for me for two years, and of

course I am eager to do something, but the question is what? I can sail a

ship, but even could I get the command of a merchantman, it would not

improve my position in the eyes of the parents of the lady in question.

Now, you have been knocking about all over the world, I do wish you would

give me your advice. Where is there money to be got? I am equally ready to

go to the North Pole or the Equator, to enter the service of an Indian

prince, or to start in search of a treasure hidden by the old bucaneers."

"You talk Spanish, don't you?"

"Yes; all my service has been in the Mediterranean. We were two years off

the coast of Spain, and in and out of its ports, and as time hung heavily

on our hands, I got up the language partly to amuse myself and partly to

be able to talk fluently with my partners at a ball."

The elder man did not speak for a minute or two.

"You have not thought of South America?" he said at last.

 

"No, Mr. Barnett; I don't know that I have ever thought of one place more

than another."

The other was again silent.

"I don't think you could do better anywhere," he said slowly. "It is a