than you can count, I'll warrant--and
still you are not satisfied!"

"Ah, my friend," answered the professor, "it is all very well for you,
who have a lovely wife and a sweet little daughter, to laugh at me. But
I am a bachelor; I have no wife, no daughter, no domestic ties of any
sort to beguile my restless nature and render me content to settle down
in the monotonous placidity of a home; I must always be occupied in some
exciting pursuit, or I should go mad from very weariness and ennui; and
since our memorable cruise in your _Flying Fish_, I have been unable to
find anything exciting and adventurous enough to suit my taste. That
cruise has spoilt me for everything else, and I am sometimes inclined to
wish that I had never participated in it."

"Oh, but you must not feel like that," remonstrated Sir Reginald. "Why,
my dear sir, you were the backbone, the life and soul of the cruise!
Without you the whole thing would have been a dreary failure! Besides,
I want you to join us in another."

"What!" exclaimed von Schalckenberg, springing to his feet excitedly,
while his broad German visage fairly beamed with delight; "what!
Another cruise in the _Flying Fish_! My dear sir, of course I will join
you, with the greatest possible pleasure. But upon one condition," he
added, more soberly, and after a moment's reflection. "I am at present
engaged, as I told you a little while ago, upon the elaboration of a
colonisation scheme for the relief of those who, although perfectly
willing to work, find themselves unable to obtain employment in
consequence of the present overcrowded condition of every conceivable
avocation. I can see my way perfectly clearly up to a certain point;
but there I find myself brought to a standstill for want of means--for I
must tell you that although my colony, once fairly launched, would be
self-supporting, the launching of it would be a terribly expensive
operation. I therefore want money--or money's equivalent--as much as I
can get; and there are enormous sources of wealth accessible to the
_Flying Fish_, and to her alone; if, therefore, you will permit me to
avail myself of such opportunities to acquire wealth as may present
themselves during the progress of the cruise, I will join you with the
utmost pleasure. But, if not, I must remain where I am, and endeavour
to hatch out of my brain some other method of obtaining the means that I
require."

"No need for that, my dear fellow," exclaim