adventure some years before and this time I saw nothing and heard
little of Lord and Lady Ragnall. Once a rumour did reach me, however,
I think through Sir Henry Curtis or Captain Good, that the former had
died as a result of an accident. What the accident was my informant
did not know and as I was just starting on a far journey at the time,
I had no opportunity of making inquiries. My talk with the botanical
scientist determined me to do so; indeed a few days later I discovered
from a book of reference that Lord Ragnall was dead, leaving no heir;
also that his wife survived him.

I was working myself up to write to her when one morning the postman
brought me here at the Grange a letter which had "Ragnall Castle"
printed on the flap of the envelope. I did not know the writing which
was very clear and firm, for as it chanced, to the best of my
recollection, I had never seen that of Lady Ragnall. Here is a copy of
the letter it contained:


"My dear Mr. Quatermain,--Very strangely I have just seen at a
meeting of the Horticultural Society, a gentleman who declares
that a few days ago he sat next to you at some public dinner.
Indeed I do not think there can be any doubt for he showed me your
card which he had in his purse with a Yorkshire address upon it.

"A dispute had arisen as to whether a certain variety of Crinum
lily was first found in Africa, or Southern America. This
gentleman, an authority upon South American flora, made a speech
saying that he had never met with it there, but that an
acquaintance of his, Mr. Quatermain, to whom he had spoken on the
subject, said that he had seen something of the sort in the