s he invariably received the one brief
unsatisfactory answer: "Nothing."

Roscoe, too, endeavoured to puzzle out the mystery. It was not the
lack of money--Shafto was prompt in his payments; _his_ door was never
haunted by bill-collectors, nor had he got into hot water in his
office; both his horses were sound. What could it be?

In due course the _Blankshire_ was signalled and arrived, and the usual
mob of people swarmed aboard to meet their friends. Among these,
carrying a heavy heart, was Shafto; after all, he realised that he must
do the right thing and go to receive his cousin; but, amazing to
relate, there was no Miss Larcher among the passengers! On inquiry he
was presented to an excited lady, who had brought her all the way from
Tilbury, filling the situation of lady nurse. Miss Larcher had not
completed the voyage, but had landed at Colombo! On hearing of his
relationship to her late employe, Mrs. Jones, a hot-tempered matron,
fell figuratively tooth and nail upon defenceless Shafto. In a series
of breathless sentences she assured him that "his cousin, Miss Larcher,
was no better than an adventuress, and had behaved in the most
dishonest and scandalous manner."

After a moment--to recover her breath--she went on in gasps:

"I took her on the recommendation of a mutual acquaintance, and at our
interview she appeared quite all right and most anxious to please; but
once on board ship, with her passage paid, I soon discovered that she
was not anxious to please _me_, but any and every unmarried man she
could come across! Such a shameless and outrageous flirt I _never_
saw. As to her duties, she was absolutely _useless_; I don't believe
she had ever washed or dressed a child in her life before she came to
me; she did nothing but dress herself and sit about the deck with men,
leaving me to do her work. When I spoke to her she simply laughed in
my face; the children couldn't endure her and screamed whenever she
came near them. So I was obliged to do nursemaid whilst she danced and
amused herself--and all at my expense. She made no secret of the fact
that she was on the look out for a husband; and she has gained her
end--for she is married."

"Married!" repeated Shafto. The news was too good to be true.

"Well, at least they landed at Colombo with that intention," announced
the lady sourly; "she and a coffee planter, a widower, with a touch of
black blood. They were going up country to his estate, an