ibe and I have suffered
some undeserved vicissitudes of late."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Of course you must have three hundred dollars
to begin with."

"By the way, am I Mrs. or Miss?"

"You must know best as to----"

"I mean me in the part of your aunt."

"Oh, you're neither Miss nor Mrs."

"_Really!_"

"I mean, you're married, but you have a title."

"That will come more expensive. A person of title should have a diamond
guard for her wedding-ring. You _feel_ that, don't you?"

"Now you speak of it, I do."

"Would you like her to wear a cap for indoors?"

"Sounds as if she were a parlormaid----"

"Not at all. I'm sure a proper Scotch aunt would wear a cap."

"Mine's a proper Scotch aunt, and she doesn't. She's about forty, but
she looks twenty-five. Nobody would believe she was anybody's aunt."

"But you want everybody to believe I'm yours?"

"Oh, have a cap by all means."

"It should be real lace."

"Buy it."

"And another to change with."

"Buy that too. Get a dozen if you like."

"Thanks, I will. I believe you just said the engagement dates from
to-day?"

"Rather. I was going to tell you, I must have an aunt by this evening.
She arrives from Scotland, you know."

"With her dog. _That's_ easy."

"I hope the girls like dogs."

"They do if they're nice girls."

"They're enchanting girls, one English, one American. I adore both:
that's why I'm a desperate man where an aunt's concerned. To produce an
aunt is my one hope of enjoying their society on the motor-boat trip I
wrote you about. I wouldn't do this thing if I weren't desperate, and
even desperate as I am, I wouldn't do it if I couldn't have got an
all-right kind of aunt, an aunt that--that----"

"That an unimpeachable American Consul could vouch for. I assure you,
Nephew, you ought to think of a woman like me as of--of a ram caught in
the bushes."

"I'm willing to think of you in that way, if it's not offensive. The
Consul didn't go into particulars----"

"That was unnecessary."

"Perhaps. Everything's settled, then. I'll count you out five hundred
dollars in gulden. Buy what you choose--so long as it's aunt-like. I'll
meet your train at--we'll say seven, the Beurs Station."

"I understand. I'll be there with Tibe and our luggage. But you haven't
told me your name yet. I _signed_ my letter to you, Mary Milton. _You_
cautiously----"

"Ronald L. Starr is your nephew's name. Lady MacNairne is my aunt's."
I came very near c