e was a great admirer of England, English
institutions, and the English form of government, which, despite all its
imperfections, he considered to be the most admirable form of government
in existence. It was this predilection for things English that had
induced him to send his son Carlos over to England, some nine years
prior to the date of the opening of this story, to be educated at
Dulwich, first of all in the preparatory school and afterwards in the
College. And it was during the latter period that Carlos Montijo became
the especial chum of Jack Singleton, a lad of the same age as himself,
and the only son of Edward Singleton, the senior partner in the eminent
Tyneside firm of Singleton, Murdock, and Company, shipbuilders and
engineers. The two lads had left Dulwich at the same time, Carlos to
return to Cuba to master the mysteries of tobacco-growing, and Singleton
to learn all that was to be learnt of shipbuilding and engineering in
his father's establishment. A year ago, however, Singleton senior had
died, leaving his only son without a near relation in the world--Jack's
mother having died during his infancy: and since then Jack, as the
dominant partner in the firm, had been allowed to do pretty much as he
pleased. Not that he took an unwise advantage of this freedom--very far
from it: he clearly realised that, his father being dead, there was now
a more stringent necessity than ever for him to become master of every
detail of the business; and, far from taking things easy, he had been
working so hard that of late his health had shown signs of giving way,
and at the moment when we make his acquaintance he was in London for the
purpose of consulting a specialist.

During the progress of luncheon there had been, as was to be expected, a
brisk crossfire of question and answer between the two young men, in the
course of which Montijo had learned, among other things, that his friend
Jack had been ordered by the specialist to leave business very severely
alone for some time to come, and, if possible, to treat himself to at
least six months' complete change of air, scene, and occupation.

"It fortunately so happens," said Jack, "that my position in the firm
will enable me to do this very well, since Murdock, the other partner,
is, and has been since my father's death, the actual manager of the
business; and as he has been with us for nearly thirty years he knows
all that there is to know about it, and needs no assi