I am at Aunt Mary's
she always lets me stay till half-past.'

'Aunt Mary always spoils you,' said Miss Morton. 'Sit down,' she added,
and Jimmy took a chair on the opposite side of the fire-place.

'I suppose you don't remember your mother,' she said.

'No,' answered Jimmy.

'Shall you be glad to see her?' asked Aunt Selina.

'Yes, very glad,' said Jimmy. 'Shan't you?' he asked, looking into his
aunt's face.

'Of course I shall be pleased to see my sister,' was the answer.

'And I shall be glad to see Winnie, too,' said Jimmy. But Aunt Selina's
words had put a fresh idea into his mind. He seemed never to have
realised until now that the mother whom he had never seen, although he
had thought about her so much, was his Aunt Selina's sister. He thought
that sisters must surely be very much alike; but if his mother was like
her sister, why, Jimmy did not feel certain it would be nice to have her
home again after all. He forgot that he was staring at his aunt until
she asked him what he was looking at.

'Is my mother as old as you?' he asked.

'I cannot say they teach politeness at Miss Lawson's,' Aunt Selina
answered.

'But is she?' asked Jimmy, for it seemed very important that he should
know at once.

'Your mother is a few years younger than I am,' said his aunt, 'but she
would be very angry with you for asking such a question.'

'Can she be angry?' asked Jimmy.

'She will be very angry indeed when you are naughty,' said Miss Morton.
For a few minutes Jimmy sat staring into the fire.

'Is--is she like you?' he asked.

'She is not quite so tall.'

'But is she like you?' asked Jimmy.

'We used to be considered very much alike,' was the answer, and Jimmy
felt inclined to cry. Then Aunt Selina said it was his bed-time, and he
came close to her and kissed her cheek.

'Am I to go to Aunt Ellen's?' he asked.

'I shall not tell you until to-morrow morning,' said Aunt Selina; and
Jimmy fell asleep in the large spare room wondering whether he should go
to-morrow to Chesterham or not.

CHAPTER V

AT THE RAILWAY STATION

When Jimmy awoke the next morning he found that Hannah was drawing up
his blind. The sun-light fell into the room, and the smoke rose from the
can of hot water on the wash-stand.

'You must get up at once,' said Hannah, 'or you will be late for
breakfast, and Miss Morton won't like that.'

He would have liked to lie in the warm bed a little longer, and when at
last he jumped