hat the ladies were the sister and
step-daughter of the Professor, who was a widower. They had been
engaged by him in a mild conspiracy not to reveal his whereabouts, so
fearful was he of his precious butterfly's habitat being made known to
the world; and so, all through the voyage, no mention had been made even
of his name. It was his particular whim and request, and here was the
mystery at an end. The Professor had moved from the farmhouse in which
he had lodged the year before, and had secured quarters in Mr Gunton's
roomy, comfortable ranch, where the ladies had joined him.

Horace, who had inwardly chafed at this unexpected turn, had now to
explain his awkward rencontre with the Professor. To his great relief,
Mrs Stacer and Rose took it much more philosophically than he could
have hoped; indeed, they seemed rather amused than otherwise.

"But," said Horace with a rueful face, "the Professor's in a frantic
rage with me. You don't quite realise that he absolutely discredits my
story, and believes I have been playing the spy all along. And upon the
top of all this I have a letter to Mr Gunton, and must sleep here
somehow for the night. There's no other accommodation within twenty
miles. Why, when the Professor comes back and finds me here, he'll go
out of his mind!"

Here Mrs Stacer, good woman that she was, volunteered to put matters
straight, for the night at all events. She at once saw Mr Gunton, and
explained the _impasse_ to him; and Horace was comfortably installed,
away from the Professor's room, in the farmer's own quarters.

"Leave my brother to me," said Mrs Stacer, as she left Horace. "I
daresay matters will come right."

At ten o'clock Mrs Stacer came to the door. Mr Gunton rose and went
out as she entered. "H'sh!" she said with mock-mystery as she addressed
Horace. "I think," she went on, with a comical little smile, "the
Professor begins to think he has done you an injustice. He is amazed at
our knowing you, and we have attacked him all the evening, and he is
visibly relenting."

"Mrs Stacer," said Horace warmly, "I can't thank you sufficiently.
I've had an inspiration since I saw you. I, too, have discovered, not
far from here, a rather good new butterfly--a species hitherto unknown.
Can't I make amends, by sharing my discovery with the Professor? I've
got specimens here in my box, and there are plenty in a kloof fifteen
miles away."

"Why, of course," answered Mrs Stacer. "It'