He is rescued by a ship bound for London and must work during the voyage to earn his passage, and he arrives in the city with his clothing in rags and only one dollar in his pocket.

One believes that the mere possession of the bank note can enable a person to survive even with no other means of support, while the other feels that the holder will be unable to use it without drawing the authorities' suspicions.

He is invited to a dinner party that night where he meets a young British woman, Portia Langham, with whom he is instantly smitten.

Also at the party is a good friend of Henry's from San Francisco named Lloyd Hastings, in London to sell shares in a mine and keep any sale proceeds that exceed $1 million.

He is about to return home, having been unable to find any wealthy Londoners interested in buying, but Henry offers to use his celebrity to endorse the mine in exchange for half the profits.