“_His mother cannot possibly afford to re-educate him. Therefore, she will certainly refuse to apply for his withdrawal from the Service, and she will persist in this refusal unless extreme pressure from him forces her to act at last against her better judgment. You and I, Mr. Hartington, must pull together in this matter. I am interested in Lynwood; I am sure he has real ability; and I am willing and eager to take full responsibility for giving him a fresh start. But, for reasons of my own, I cannot at present approach his mother on the subject. Before I go to her it is necessary that the prospect of her son’s leaving the Service should be banished from her mind. She must feel that a decision has been taken in which Lynwood himself has acquiesced, and that the whole matter is over and done with. Then, and not till then, I can go to her_. “_Your job is to obtain Lynwood’s complete acquiescence. You must say nothing of my intent to help him. You must persuade him to bow to the inevitable with the best grace possible. In other words, when his mother’s refusal arrives--and it should reach the ship in the same mail with this letter of mine--he must write again to her, accepting her decision, and--for the sake of her peace of mind--accepting it willingly...._ “_It is not necessary for me to give in detail my reasons for requiring this of you. I suspect that you have already guessed them. It is enough for me to say that I wish Mrs. Lynwood to be under no obligation to me. Also, when I go to her, I want her not to be thinking of her son’s future. She must feel that that is settled, and that young Lynwood himself is satisfied with the settlement. Then, knowing her to be a free agent, I shall be able to act more easily...._ “_Write to me at once and tell me what Lynwood does. Give me, too, your considered opinion upon the question of his leaving the Service. It may be a little difficult, when the time comes, to persuade Mrs. Lynwood that her son’s acquiescence was not indeed the result of a change of mind. Like most women, she thinks the Navy an ideal profession for men. A letter from you, telling me of the circumstances in which Lynwood was persuaded to accept his mother’s decision, and giving a definite assurance--supported, if possible, by his own words spoken privately to you--as to his real inclination, might be needed to persuade her that, for all his apparent consent, he is still at heart eager to break free...._” Having finished his letter, Wingfield Alter returned to those words he had written, “break free.” They implied more than he had meant to imply; but, as he considered them, he had no desire to weaken his phrase. “My God!” he said aloud, “the younger generation is in a hell of a mess!” He picked up an envelope and laid it face downwards on the mantelpiece. On its back he wrote: