At this question my uncle Jervas pursed his lips in a soundless whistle and smoothed snowy shirt-frill with caressing fingers. "Perry," said uncle George, removing his hat to ruffle his curls, "you've heard of bears robbed of cubs, of the Hyr--what's-a-name tiger--" "Hyrcanian, George!" murmured uncle Jervas. "Well, they're playful pets in comparison. How is your aunt? B'gad, Perry, my lad, that's precisely the dooce of it, d'ye see!" "She--she is very well, I hope?" faltered I. "Assuredly!" answered my uncle Jervas. "But being the--ah--truly feminine creature she is, your remarkable aunt, with more or less reason, has leapt to the conclusion that we are the cause of what she terms your 'desertion', and is a little incensed against us--" "Incensed, d'ye call it, Jervas?" exclaimed uncle George. "A little incensed is it--oh, b'gad!" "And declines to see or hold communications with us--" "And when she does, she--she don't!" added uncle George. "Last time I ventured to call, she looked over me, and under me, and round me, and through me but never--at me. Dooced trying y' know, Perry!" "And most disappointing!" said I. "My dream that you--one of you might comfort her--" "Was a damned piece of impertinence!" murmured my uncle Jervas, his aesthetically pallid cheek tinged with unusual colour. "Your aunt knows her own mind and has grieved, raged, wept, languished and advertised for you in her thorough fashion--" "Offers five hundred pounds for your recovery, lad!" added uncle George. "Which," continued uncle Jervas, "is a fair sum of money, the natural consequence being that the poor, sweet soul has been plagued by all manner of people, day and night, eagerly endeavouring to restore waifs and strays of both sexes and all ages, so much so that your uncle and I were compelled to call in and suppress such notices as had appeared--here is one!" From his pocket uncle Jervas took a handbill which he unfolded and passed to me; whereon I read this: L500. LOST. REWARD. MR. PEREGRINE VEREKER AGED 19. Here followed a most minute and painfully accurate description of my garments and person; and below, these words: WHEREAS: my loved nephew, PEREGRINE VEREKER, acting upon the PERNICIOUS & EVIL COUNSEL of certain CRUEL and HEARTLESS advisers, fled from home and his only TRUE FRIEND on the night of the 10th. inst: the above L500 will be paid to such person or persons who shall return him safe and unharmed or give such information as shall lead to his happy recovery and restoration to the loving care of JULIA CONROY. "Great heaven!" I exclaimed, crumpling the document angrily. "It reads as if I were some pet animal!" "Precisely!" murmured my uncle Jervas. "As you seemed likely to become, nephew. None the less, the document evinces something of your aunt's desire for your return, and it is easy to imagine her gratitude when I shall restore you to her arms--"