ble."

"To the other? What other? Out with it, Holmes," said Laurence, with a
half smile at his friend's thinly veiled embarrassment.

"Oh, there was another girl in the crowd--Miss Falkner--deuced pretty
girl, too. The sulky chappie was her brother."

"Whose brother? Miss Ormskirk's?" said Laurence innocently.

"No; the blue-eyed one's. At least they both called him George."

"Yes. I remember they came on board the _Persian_. You had landed
already, I think. From your description I recognize them. So they are up
here? Where are they staying?"

"At that outlying place where the coach first begins to get among
houses. I can't remember the name. There's a biggish pub, you know, and
a lot of houses."

"Booyseus?"

"That was it; Booyseus. They asked me to go and see them. You'd better
come along too, Stanninghame. I say, d'you think it'd be too soon if we
went to-morrow, eh? Sort of excuse to ask if they'd recovered from the
journey--eh?"

"Was George so very exhausted then?"

"Oh, hang your chaff, Stanninghame! What do you think? You're an older
chap than I am, and know more about these things. Would it be too soon
if we went to-morrow?"

"Be comforted, Holmes. As far as it rests with me, you shall behold your
forget-me-not-eyed charmer to-morrow if she's at home."

The conversation worked round to the inevitable topic, King Scrip.
Holmes was fired with eagerness when in his unenthusiastic way the other
began to tell of such successes as he had already scored. For he, too,
had come up there to take advantage of the boom. He was eager to rush
out there and then to buy shares. Nothing would satisfy him but that
Laurence must take him round and introduce him to Rainsford on the spot.

But on the way to that worthy's office something happened. Turning into
Commissioner Street, they ran right into a party of four.
Result--exclamations of astonishment, of recognition, greetings from
both sides.

Three of the quartette we have already made the acquaintance of. The
fourth, Mrs. Falkner, a good-looking middle-aged lady, was the aunt of
the other three, and with her they were staying.

"I've heard of you, Mr. Stanninghame," said this one, when introductions
had been effected. "I hope you have made a success of Johannesburg so
far. Everybody turns up here. I can hardly come up to the camp--we used
to call it that in the old days. I was among the first up here, you
know, and it's difficult to get into the way of cal