red of the English winter, and,
as you are aware, I have never yet visited Japan, I've suddenly made up
my mind to go out there. How soon do you think you could be ready to
start?"

"For Japan, sir?" the captain replied. "Well, that's a goodish step.
Might I ask, sir, how long you can give me? Are you in a very great
hurry?"

"A very great hurry indeed," Browne said. "I want to get away at the
shortest possible notice; in fact, the sooner you can get away, the
better I shall be pleased. I know you will do all you can."

"You may be very sure of that, sir," said the captain. "If it is
really necessary, I fancy I could be ready--well, shall we say?--on
Monday next. Would that suit you, sir?"

"It would do admirably," said Browne. "I may count, then, on being
able to sail on that day?"

"Certainly, sir," said the captain. "I will catch the next train back,
and get to work without loss of time. Your own steward, I suppose,
will accompany you?"

"Yes," said Browne, for he was convinced that the man was one in whose
honesty and courage he could place implicit reliance, which was just
what would be wanted on such a voyage.

"And how many guests will you be likely to have, sir?" inquired the
captain. "I suppose you will fill all the cabins as usual?"

This was a question to which Browne had not yet given any proper
consideration, though he had practically decided on one person. The
voyage from England to Japan, as all the world knows, is a long one,
and he felt that if he went alone he would stand a very fair chance of
boring himself to death with his own company.

"I am not able to say yet who will accompany me; but in any case you
had better be prepared for one or two. It is more than possible,
however, that we shall pick up a few others in Japan."

"Very good, sir," said Mason. "I will see that all the necessary
arrangements are made. Now I suppose I had better see about getting
back to Southampton."

Having consulted his watch, he rose from his chair, and was about to
bid his employer good-bye, when Brown stopped him.

"One moment more, Mason," he said. "Before you go I have something to
say to you, that is of the utmost importance to both of us." He paused
for a moment, and from the gravity of his face the captain argued that
something more serious was about to follow. "I wanted to ask you
whether you had any sort of acquaintance with the seas to the northward
of Japan, say in the vicinity