"He is Administrator of Taorna," he said; "our report will be published in a few days. You will see then that the appointment is no sinecure. I think I may say that we work the resources of our island to the uttermost; we challenge you to make the fullest inquiries into our methods and criticize them fairly. Japan took thirty years to grow; we’ve taken ten. Even the present Government knows what our trade is: we have been useful to England already. We have our own fleet and our own Army, our own line of steamers for transport, our Chamber of Commerce and Council. Farquharson is the power behind all these; he holds them in the hollow of his hand. He works, I pay." A new note came into Calvert’s voice, a note of gravity. "I have made him ruler over a few things already; at my death—God willing—I mean to leave him in a position where he may rule many things." Creagh and Beadon walked away in silence. It was not until they had reached the lodge gates that the former spoke. "Well, what have you decided to do for him?" Beadon smiled. "That’s just like you! So you take my belief for granted, eh? Well, you’re right. One might not like him, but one must believe in him. That impassive, implacable type of man always gets on. Look at his chin! But one can’t decide these things in a hurry. There’s the Blue Book to be looked through first. "Oh, if it only depends on the Blue Book"—Creagh shrugged his shoulders—"that’s right enough. I read the proofs this morning." *CHAPTER V* "... A bar was broken between Life and life ... In spite of the mortal screen."—BROWNING. An American’s advice to Farquharson at this particular juncture of his career would have been to "make things hum." The phrase itself is vulgar enough, but, employed with discretion, American methods have something in their favour. Farquharson, for one, knew their value. He brought infinite tact to bear upon his capture of London; to have captured London is, luckily for the nation, still to have captured the world. He started well, of course. He had come at an effective moment, and his coming was judiciously pioneered. Then, too, he had the right influence to back him, and an amazing personality. It was impossible to ignore or be indifferent to him; he set too big forces in motion. Among the leaders of society he awoke, indeed, something like enthusiasm, and the plastic mob followed. Commercial enterprise has not yet robbed us of our love of the romantic, and there was something essentially romantic about Farquharson’s past.