"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 very angry with Flushington. "Why couldn't he explain before matters had gone on so far?" "How was I to know?" pleaded Flushington. "I dare say I have aunts in Australia, and you said you were one of them." "But you asked after Uncle Samuel?" she said accusingly. "You must have had some object--I cannot say what--in encouraging my mistake; oh, I'm sure of it!" "You told me to ask after him," said the unhappy Flushington; "I thought it was all right. What else was I to do?" The cousins were whispering and laughing together all this time and regarding their new cousin with shy admiration, very different from the manner in which they had looked at poor Flushington; and the old nurse, too, was overjoyed and declared that she felt sure from the first that her Master Frederick had not turned out so undersized as him--meaning Flushington. "Yes, yes," said Lushington hastily, "quite a mistake on both sides. Quite sure Flushington isn't the man to go and intercept any fellow's aunt."