This was all very friendly and plausible; but before they had been seated many minutes at lunch in a conveniently adjacent restaurant Holmes was discoursing singularly little upon his doings spread over the weeks which had elapsed since he had landed, but most volubly upon his recent coach journey congested within a space of three days--to which topic he was tactfully moved by his audience of one and also by his own inclination, as will hereinafter appear. "Was Miss Ormskirk travelling alone, did you say, Holmes?" queried Laurence, in initiation of his deft scheme for "drawing" the other. "Not much. There was a big parchment-faced Johnny with her. He scowled at me like sin when we were introduced--was inclined to be beastly rude in fact, until he saw that I--er--that I--talked most to the other; then he got quite affable." "To the other? What other? Out with it, Holmes," said Laurence, with a half smile at his friend's thinly veiled embarrassment. "Oh, there was another girl in the crowd--Miss Falkner--deuced pretty girl, too. The sulky chappie was her brother." "Whose brother? Miss Ormskirk's?" said Laurence innocently. "No; the blue-eyed one's. At least they both called him George." "Yes. I remember they came on board the _Persian_. You had landed already, I think. From your description I recognize them. So they are up here? Where are they staying?" "At that outlying place where the coach first begins to get among houses. I can't remember the name. There's a biggish pub, you know, and a lot of houses." "Booyseus?" "That was it; Booyseus. They asked me to go and see them. You'd better come along too, Stanninghame. I say, d'you think it'd be too soon if we went to-morrow, eh? Sort of excuse to ask if they'd recovered from the journey--eh?" "Was George so very exhausted then?" "Oh, hang your chaff, Stanninghame! What do you think? You're an older chap than I am, and know more about these things. Would it be too soon if we went to-morrow?" "Be comforted, Holmes. As far as it rests with me, you shall behold your forget-me-not-eyed charmer to-morrow if she's at home." The conversation worked round to the inevitable topic, King Scrip. Holmes was fired with eagerness when in his unenthusiastic way the other began to tell of such successes as he had already scored. For he, too, had come up there to take advantage of the boom. He was eager to rush out there and then to buy shares. Nothing would satisfy him but that Laurence must take him round and introduce him to Rainsford on the spot. But on the way to that worthy's office something happened. Turning into Commissioner Street, they ran right into a party of four. Result--exclamations of astonishment, of recognition, greetings from both sides. Three of the quartette we have already made the acquaintance of. The fourth, Mrs. Falkner, a good-looking middle-aged lady, was the aunt of the other three, and with her they were staying.