with you this morning,' he said, 'if you can
spare the time to come into my stateroom for a talk.'

'I am at your service now, sir,' said De Blacquaire.

'Shall we go down?' asked the General. 'One tires easily still, and this
May wind gets into an old man's head like wine.'

'And into a young man's, too,' said De Blacquaire. 'I am half tipsy with
it, and shall be glad to get into shelter.'

'We'll see you at breakfast, Polson,' said the General, 'and until then,
good-bye.'

The two men reached the General's cabin and sat down together.

'When we touched at Corfu,' said the General, 'I found a letter from my
London agents--I'd like you to see it, and I shall be glad if you can
confirm its contents, or at least a part of them.'

De Blacquaire took the proffered letter and read:

'Sir,--: We are instructed to inform you that a sum of fifty thousand
pounds has been deposited with us to your credit by Mr. John Jervase, of
Beacon Hargate. Mr. Jervase requests us in communicating with you to
say that a further sum of one hundred thousand pounds, making in all one
hundred and fifty thousand, has been deposited by him in the interest of
Major de Blacquaire with that gentleman's agents. We are desired to add
further that Mr. Jervase has joined his brother in South America, that
he proposes to establish business relations there, and does not intend
to return to England. We are, sir, your obedient humble servants, E. A.
Cox & Co.'

'Except,' said De Blacquaire, 'that the sums mentioned here are reversed
in order, I have a letter identical in terms. The old scoundrel has bled
very freely.'

'And there's no vendetta?' said the General, smiling.

'Vendetta?' said De Blacquaire. 'You can hardly have a vendetta with a
man who has saved your life, even though the beggar did it for no other
reason than to show how much he despised you. I was wrong about the lad,
General; he's a very fine fellow.'

'I could have told you that much long ago,' said the General. He reached
out a lean brown hand and rang a bell which stood upon the stateroom
table. 'You'll take a glass of wine, Major? It's against my rule, but I
feel like breaking rules today.'

'And so do I, sir,' said De Blacquaire.

So the wine was brought, and the glasses were filled, and the two men
drank to each other. The General lit a cheroot, and sat in a deck chair;
but the younger man fidgeted and was obviously ill at ease.

'There is one thing on my mind, General