In spite of our heart-shaking experience, we managed to eat, and drink, and sleep, yea, to play tennis--somewhat solemnly, it is true--and go to the club, where we remained to the very _last_ moment; needless to mention, that I now entered into Aggie’s manœuvre _con amore_. Mrs. Starkey evidently divined the reason of our loitering in Kantia, and said in her most truculent manner, as she squared up to us-- “You keep your children out very late, Mrs. Shandon.” “Yes, but we like to have them with us,” rejoined Aggie, in a meek apologetic voice. “Then why don’t you go home earlier?” “Because it is so stupid, and lonely,” was the mendacious answer. “Lonely is not the word _I_ should use. I wonder if you are as wise as your neighbours now? Come now, Mrs. Shandon.” “About what?” said Aggie, with ill-feigned innocence. “About Briarwood. Haven’t you heard it yet? The ghastly precipice and horse affair?” “Yes, I suppose we may as well confess that we _have_.” “Humph! you are a brave couple to stay on. The Tombs tried it last year for three weeks. The Paxtons took it the year before, and then sub-let it; not that _they_ believed in ghosts--oh, dear no!” and she laughed ironically. “And what is the story?” I inquired eagerly. “Well, the story is this. An old retired officer and his wife, and their pretty niece, lived at Briarwood a good many years ago. The girl was engaged to be married to a fine young fellow in the Guides. The day before the wedding, what you know of happened, and has happened every monsoon ever since. The poor girl went out of her mind, and destroyed herself, and the old colonel and his wife did not long survive her. The house is uninhabitable in the monsoon, and there seems nothing for it but to auction off the furniture, and pull it down; it will always be the same as long as it stands. Take _my_ advice, and come into Cooper’s Hotel. I believe you can have that small set of rooms at the back. The sitting-room smokes--but beggars can’t be choosers.” “That will only be our very last resource,” said Aggie, hotly. “It’s not very grand, I grant you; but any port in a storm.”