lankly for another aunt with a fresh relay of female cousins, or more
old family servants who had washed him in his infancy, and he sat there
cowering.

But when the door opened a tall, fair-haired, good-looking young
fellow, who from his costume had evidently just come up from the
tennis-court, came bursting in impulsively.

"Oh, I say!" he began, "have you heard--have you seen? Oh, beg pardon,
didn't see, you know!" he added, as he noticed the extraordinary fact
that Flushington had people up.

"Oh, let me introduce you," said Flushington, with a vague idea that
this was the proper thing to do. "Mr. Lushington, Mrs.--no, I don't
know her name--my aunt--my cousins."

The young man, who had just been about to retire, bowed and stared with
a sudden surprise. "Do you know," he said slowly to the other, "I
rather think that's my aunt!"

"I--I'm afraid not," whispered Flushington; "she seems quite sure she's
mine."

"Well, I've got an aunt and cousins I've never seen before coming up
to-day," said the new-comer, "and yours is uncommonly like the portrait
of mine."

"If they belong to you, do take them away!" said Flushington feebly; "I
don't think I can keep up much longer."

"What are you whispering about, Fred?" cried the aunt. "Is it
something we are not to know?"

"He says he thinks there's been a mistake, and you're not my aunt,"
explained Flushington.

"Oh, does he?" she said, drawing herself up indignantly. "And what
does he know about it? I didn't catch his name--who is he?"

"Fred Lushington," he said; "that's my name."

"And who are you, if he's Fred Lushington?" she inquired, turning upon
the unfortunate owner of the rooms.

"I'm Frederick Flushington," he stammered; "I'm sorry--but I can't help
it!"

"Then you're not my nephew at all, sir!" cried the aunt.

"Thank you very much," said Flushington gratefully.

"You see," her real nephew was explaining to her, "there isn't much
light on the staircase, and you must have thought his name over the
door was 'F. Lushington,' so in you went, you know! The porter told me
you'd been asking for me, so I looked in here to see whether you had
been heard of, and here you are."

"But why didn't he tell me?" she said, for she was naturally annoyed to
find that she had been pouring out all her pent-up affection over a
perfect stranger, and she even had a dim idea that she had put herself
in rather a ridiculous position, which of course made her feel