Produced by Al Haines, from scans obtained from The Internet Archive. JOHN DENE of TORONTO A COMEDY OF WHITEHALL BY HERBERT JENKINS AUTHOR OF "BINDLE" HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED 3 YORK STREET LONDON S.W.1 1920 A HERBERT JENKINS' BOOK _Fifth printing_ Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London TO MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE CHARLES ASKEW WHO HAS BEEN AS STRENUOUS AS THE TIMES THEMSELVES AND INFINITELY MORE CHEERFUL MCMXV-MCMXIX CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE COMING OF JOHN DENE II. JOHN DENE'S WAY III. DEPARTMENT Z. IV. GINGERING UP THE ADMIRALTY V. JOHN DENE LEAVES WHITEHALL VI. MR. MONTAGU NAYLOR OF STREATHAM VII. MR. NAYLOR RECEIVES A VISITOR VIII. DOROTHY WEST AT HOME IX. DEPARTMENT Z. AT WORK X. JOHN DENE GOES TO KEW XI. THE STRANGENESS OF JOHN DENE XII. THE _DESTROYER_ READY FOR SEA XIII. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JOHN DENE XIV. THE HUE AND CRY XV. MR. LLEWELLYN JOHN BECOMES ALARMED XVI. FINLAY'S S.O.S. XVII. MALCOLM SAGE CASTS HIS NET XVIII. THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE XIX. COMMANDER JOHN DENE GOES TO BOURNEMOUTH XX. JOHN DENE'S PROPOSAL XXI. MARJORIE ROGERS PAYS A CALL WHAT THIS STORY IS ABOUT John Dene comes to England with a great invention, and the intention of gingering-up the Admiralty. His directness and unconventional methods bewilder and embarrass the officials at Whitehall, where, according to him, most of the jobs are held by those "whose great-grandfathers had a pleasant way of saying how-do-you-do to a prince." Suddenly John Dene disappears, and the whole civilised world is amazed at an offer of L20,000 for news of him. Scotland Yard is disorganised by tons of letters and thousands of callers. Questions are asked in the House, the Government becomes anxious, only Department Z. retains its equanimity. By the way, what did happen to John Dene of Toronto? For list of books by the same author, see page 319. JOHN DENE OF TORONTO CHAPTER I THE COMING OF JOHN DENE "Straight along, down the steps, bear to the left and you'll find the Admiralty on the opposite side of the way." John Dene thanked the policeman, gave the cigar in his mouth a twist with his tongue, and walked along Lower Regent Street towards Waterloo Place. At the bottom of the Duke of York's steps, he crossed the road, turned to the left and paused. Nowhere could he see an entrance sufficiently impressive to suggest the Admiralty. Just ahead was a dingy and unpretentious doorway with a policeman standing outside; but that he decided could not be the entrance to the Admiralty. As he gazed at it, a fair-haired girl came out of the doorway and walked towards him. "Excuse me," said John Dene, lifting his hat, "but is that the Admiralty you've just come out of?"