All the shame and anguish of her early life, the unspeakable horror of her girlhood, had been brought vividly back to her by the perusal of the memoranda in the detective's ledger. "I mean to try my luck yet at getting at the bottom of the mystery," said Andrew Larkspur. "Five hundred pounds reward is worth working for. I--I've a notion that I shall lay my hands upon Valentine Jernam's murderer sooner or later." "Who offers the reward?" asked Honoria. "Government offers one hundred of it; George Jernam four hundred more." "Who is George Jernam?" "The captain's younger brother--a merchant-captain himself--the owner of several vessels, and, I believe, a rich man. He came here, accompanied by a queer-looking fellow, called Joyce Harker--a kind of clerk, I believe--who was very much attached to the murdered man." "Yes--yes, I know," murmured Honoria. She had been so terribly agitated by the mention of Valentine Jernam's name, that her presence of mind had entirely abandoned her. "You knew that humpbacked clerk!" exclaimed Mr. Larkspur. "I have heard of him," she faltered. There was a pause, during which Lady Eversleigh recovered in some degree from the painful emotion caused by memories so unexpectedly evoked. "I may as well give you some preliminary instructions to-day," she said, re-assuming her business-like tone, "and I will write you a cheque for the first month of your service." Mr. Larkspur lost no time in providing his visitor with pen and ink. She took a cheque-book from her pocket, and filled in a cheque for eighty pounds in Andrew Larkspur's favour. The cheque was signed "Harriet Eden." "When you present that, you will be able to ascertain that your future payments will be secure," she said. She handed the cheque to Mr. Larkspur, who looked at it with an air of assumed indifference, and slipped it carelessly into his waistcoat pocket. "And now, ma'am," he said, "I am ready to receive your instructions." "In the first place," said Honoria, "I must beg that you will on no occasion attempt to pry into my motives, whatever I may require of you." "That, ma'am, is understood. I have nothing to do with the motives of my employers, and I care nothing about them." "I am glad to hear that," replied Honoria. "The business in which I require your aid is a very strange one; and the time may come when you will be half-inclined to believe me mad. But, whatever I do, however mysterious my actions may be, think always that a deeply rooted purpose lies beneath them; and that every thought of my brain--every trivial act of my life, will shape itself to one end." "I ask no questions, ma'am." "And you will serve me faithfully--blindly?" "Yes, ma'am; both faithfully and blindly."