coolies out of the way, when two men jumped down the steps, and a most
fiendish row sprang up. That is, there was no dispute or wrangling, but
one chap, who, it turned out, was Colonel Costobell, grabbed Ventnor by
the shirt front, and threatened to smash his face in if he didn't
listen then and there to what he had to say. I really thought about
interfering, until I heard Colonel Costobell's opening words. After
that I would gladly have seen the beggar chucked into the harbor. We
never liked him, did we?"

"Ask no questions, Pompey, but go ahead with the yarn," growled the
first lieutenant.

"Well, it seems that Mrs. Costobell is dead. She got enteric a week
after the _Orient_ sailed, and was a goner in four days. Before
she died she owned up."

He paused, with a base eye to effect. Not a man moved a muscle.

"All right," he cried. "I will make no more false starts. Mrs.
Costobell begged her husband's forgiveness for her treatment of him,
and confessed that she and Lord Ventnor planned the affair for which
Anstruther was tried by court-martial. It must have been a beastly
business, for Costobell was sweating with rage, though his words were
icy enough. And you ought to have seen Ventnor's face when he heard of
the depositions, sworn to and signed by Mrs. Costobell and by several
Chinese servants whom he bribed to give false evidence. He promised to
marry Mrs. Costobell if her husband died, or, in any event, to bring
about a divorce when the Hong Kong affair had blown over. Then she
learnt that he was after Miss Iris, and there is no doubt her fury
helped on the fever. Costobell said that, for his wife's sake, he would
have kept the wretched thing secret, but he was compelled to clear
Anstruther's name, especially as he came across the other old
Johnnie--"

"Pompey, you are incoherent with excitement. Who is 'the other old
Johnnie'?" asked the first luff severely.

"Didn't I tell you? Why, Anstruther's uncle, of course, a heavy old
swell with just a touch of Yorkshire in his tongue. I gathered that he
disinherited his nephew when the news of the court-martial reached him.
Then he relented, and cabled to him. Getting no news, he came East to
look for him. He met Costobell the day after the lady died, and the two
swore--the stout uncle can swear a treat--anyhow, they vowed to be
revenged on Ventnor, and to clear Anstruther's character, living or
dead. Poor old chap! He cried like a baby when he asked the youngster