me to stay with him, but I put up at an hotel. However, he rigged me out, engaged a first class Goanese servant for me, who speaks English, and takes me entirely in charge, just as if I was a baby, and he set about ferreting out the cheque business. I saw the cheque--it was your signature sure enough; but the writing of ‘five thousand pounds’ was another hand--Clarence’s. I discovered that he had passed off as you. His photograph was identified at the bank. I could not hear anything about the lady; but she was entered in the passenger list for Melbourne as ‘Mrs. Jervis.’ So exit Waring--and a nice child’s guide _he_ has proved!” “That is not all,” burst out Mark. “He owes money all over the place! I gave him the command of all our funds, and he squandered every penny.” “Serve you jolly well right,” returned his uncle with emphasis. “Yes; it certainly did. I also gave him a cheque for five hundred to pay off everything the day I left Shirani. I was so bothered, that I conclude that I never filled in the cheque properly.” “Evidently not, and your little oversight cost me four thousand five hundred pounds. Well, never mind that now. I heard pretty stories of Clarence at the hotel--people talking at the table beside me; how he had gambled, betted, and played the deuce, and made a regular cat’s-paw of the young fool he was travelling with, meaning _you_--an undeniable fact. I then, having finished off Waring, came straight away to look you up, Master Mark. Pedro, that’s my fellow, took great care of me, and I have had as many adventures as would fill a volume of _Punch_. I travelled in comfort as long as I was on the rail, bar the heat; but once the rail came to an end, and I had to take to a box--I am too old to begin riding--I was uncommonly sorry for myself. However, everything I saw was new and interesting, the scenery splendid; I came _viâ_ Shirani, of course, and I broke my journey at the Brandes--Sir Pelham and Lady Brande. By the way, you never told me that he had a handle to his name! Eh, how was that?” “And how came you to know the Brandes?” asked his nephew gravely. “Ah, that is another story! And how came _you_ to tell Sir Pelham that there was insanity in the Jervis family, eh?” “Because it is true. And I only heard it since I came here. My grandfather died in Richmond lunatic asylum, my uncle jumped overboard at sea, my father has now, thank God, a lucid interval, but he has been insane for years.” “Lies, every one of them!” blazed out Mr. Pollitt. “Uncle Dan, what do you mean?” demanded Jervis, with trembling lips and a pair of sternly searching eyes.