r pleasing duty to clothe and feed that hapless animal for
the remainder of its days.

In pursuit of his inquiries Nicholas turned up at Whitecliff on the
following Sunday afternoon. To the immense astonishment of the master and
mistress of that stuccoed mansion, Nickie was neat and clean, spick and
span: he wore pince-nez glasses and spoke like a gentleman.

Nickie greeted his brother William with chastened melancholy, his manner
towards his sister-in-law was courteous and kindly. He talked of
reformation and a new life, of the honourable and onerous position he now
occupied in a reputable Sydney business, and of his approaching marriage
with an excellent, middle-aged, maiden lady of means. Deftly he worked
round to a tall, aristocratic woman who had appeared a Mary Queen of
Scots at the memorable fancy-dress ball at Whitecliff.

Brother William groaned, sister Jean sat up very straight, and sniffed
ominously. "The creature!" she said.

"That woman was no friend of ours, Nicholas," said brother William,
hastily.

"I met her in your house," said Nicholas, "and from a brief conversation
I had I was deeply interested. It has occurred to me lately that if she
still holds the same views she would be of vast assistance to my firm in
a transaction we are meditating."

"Have nothing to do with her," cried William. "The creature was an
adventuress; she worked her way into our confidence with trickery and
fraud, presenting herself in society here as a lady of title. It was
afterwards proved that she had come to the country as the companion of an
infamous scamp who at that very time was serving a sentence of seven
years for attempted burglary and firing on the police. The woman
disappeared shortly after the occasion you mention. She left the country,
I imagine. At any rate, the police were pursuing her for some time for
passing valueless cheques. Please do not mention her name in this house;
it awakens painful recollections, Nicholas."

Mrs. William sniffed more significantly than before. "Williams cashed one
of those cheques," she said bitterly, with a venomous glance at her lord
that told volumes.

Nicholas recognised in that moment that the prospect of an easy,
well-clothed, well-fed, middle age at the expense of Mary Queen of Scots
was out of the question. He consoled himself to some small extent by
borrowing ten pounds from brother William after dinner.

Mr. Crips employed himself on the following day reading up th