smiled, and touched his hat.

"They are going to the offices of Messrs. Halliday & Co., the great
shipbuilders, in Corporation Street," he answered.

I thanked him, and walked slowly away. I found plenty of material for
thought, but it seemed to me that there was nothing more which I could
do. Nevertheless, I walked along towards the address which the porter
had given me, and found, as I had expected, that the cab was standing
empty outside. Opposite was a small public-house. I went in, ordered
a whiskey and soda, and lit a cigarette. Then I sat down facing the
window. Half an hour passed, and then an hour. It was one o'clock
before the two men reappeared. They were accompanied by a third
person, whom I judged to be a member of the firm, and who entered the
cab with them. On the pavement they were accosted by a young man in
spectacles, who look off his hat and said a few words to the
ambassador. The latter, however, shaking his head, stepped into the
cab. The young man pushed forward once more, but the cab drove off. As
soon as it had turned the corner I hurried out and addressed him.

"His Excellency does not care to be spoken to," I remarked.

The reporter--his profession was quite obvious--shook his head.

"I only wanted a word or two," he said, "but he would not have
anything to say to me."

"I wonder if he is going to look over any of the ships that are
building," I remarked.

"There is nothing much in the yards," the young man said, "except the
two Brazilian battleships. I don't think that Hallidays are allowed to
show any one over them unless they have a special permit from the
Brazilian Government."

I nodded.

"Fine ships, aren't they?" I asked.

"The finest that have ever left the Tyne," the young man answered
enthusiastically. "What a little country like Brazil can possibly want
with the most powerful warships in the world no one can guess. Are you
on a London paper?" he asked me.

I nodded.

"I have followed them all the way down here," I said, "but they have
not a word to say. By the bye," I added, "did you know that the
gentleman with the Chinese ambassador was a very prominent Brazilian?"

The reporter whistled softly.

"I wonder what that means!" he said. "It sounds interesting, somehow."

"Come and have a drink," I said.

He accepted at once.

"What paper are you on?" he asked, as we crossed the street.

"To be honest with you," I replied, "I am not on a paper at all. I am
not e