low and pleasant voice, looking at the baronet rather anxiously.

"Yes, my dear Vernon, I wish to ask you to do something, if you kindly
will, although it is not quite in your line. Old Jackson, the editor of
_The Judge_, is a friend of yours, isn't he?"

"He was a friend of my father's, and I used to know him slightly."

"Well, that's near enough. As I daresay you have heard, he is an
unreasonable old beggar, and has taken a dislike to our Sahara scheme.
Someone has set him against it and he refuses to receive advertisements,
threatens criticisms, etc. Now the opposition of _The Judge_ or any
other paper won't kill us, and if necessary we can fight, but at the
same time it is always wise to agree with your enemy while he is in the
way, and in short--would you mind going down and explaining his mistake
to him?"

Before answering Major Vernon walked to the window leisurely and looked
out.

"I don't like asking favours from family friends," he replied at length,
"and, as you said, I think it isn't quite my line. Though of course if
it has anything to do with the engineering possibilities, I shall be
most happy to see him," he added, brightening.

"I don't know what it has to do with; that is what I shall be obliged if
you will find out," answered Sir Robert with some asperity. "One can't
divide a matter of this sort into watertight compartments. It is
true that in so important a concern each of us has charge of his
own division, but the fact remains that we are jointly and severally