JACK. Here comes my aunt; beat a retreat--quick, anywhere. [_BLUNT hurries out at L. H._ _Enter MRS. TARLETAN at R._ MRS. T. (_seeing JACK_). A stranger? JACK (_smiling_). Not quite. (_Going to her._) Don't you know me, _aunt?_ MRS. T. Eh? (_Suddenly._) Jack dear, dear boy! (_JACK clasps her in his arms_). Kiss me again, Jack. JACK. Again and again till you tell me to leave off (_kissing her again_). MRS. T. Let me look at you (_holding his head between her hands_). It is ten long years since I have seen you, my darling boy: and has it come back from China, a dear? JACK. It has--all the way! MRS. T. (_pulling his cheek affectionately_). And is it glad to get home? JACK. Is it? _ain't_ it? Ah! after knocking about the world for ten years, you don't know how happy a fellow feels in getting back to his aunt and having his cheeks pulled about. By-the-bye, aunt, what d'ye think?--what with my prize-money, the sale of my commission, and one thing and the other, I find I've managed to scrape together a matter of £10,000. MRS. T. Ten thousand? that's a large sum of money, my dear. JACK. An awful lot, isn't it? the puzzle is, what I'm to do with it. MRS. T. My advice is, invest in land; they say "Stick to the land, and the land will stick to you." JACK. I know _mud_ will--at least it did in the Crimea. MRS. T. My dear Jack, do be serious! Now that you are worth £500 a year-- JACK. Five hundred a year! I shall never spend the half of it. MRS. T. Then get a _wife_ to help you. JACK. A wife! me? what for?--why, my dear aunt, here are no end of clever people complaining of the over-population of the country, and you want me to-- (_Shaking his head._) No, no! MRS. T. Well, well, we'll say no more about it; though it's a pity--a great pity! JACK. A pity! what do you mean? MRS. T. Nothing! a fancy, a dream of mine--that's all. (_JESSIE is heard singing a snatch of a song without--runs in from R. H._) JESSIE (_running to MRS. TARLETAN and kissing her_). Good-morning, aunty dear. (_Suddenly, seeing JACK._) A stranger! Really, sir--I--I-- (_Courtesying._) JACK (_bowing to JESSIE_). So do I, I'm sure, miss! very much indeed. MRS. T. (_smiling_). "Sir" and "miss?" Why, Jack, have you forgotten Jessie? JACK. Eh? what? little Jessie! JESSIE. Cousin Jack! JACK (_taking both JESSIE'S hands_). Dear, dear, when I remember what a tiny little mite you were ten years ago! about so high! (_measuring about a foot_). Why, I used to teach you A B C, didn't I? And now I suppose you're quite an accomplished young lady? JESSIE. Tolerably so, I hope, cousin. JACK. Then you deserve a prize; and here it is (_opening box on table, takes out a fan and presents it to JESSIE_). The reward of merit. JESSIE. Oh, what a beautiful Chinese fan! Oh, thank you, cousin! JACK. And perhaps our good aunt will give us our tea tonight out of her new porcelain service (_showing contents of box_).