Quincy knew that Curtis would accept no fee for such a slight service, so placing a five dollar greenback under a paperweight, he quietly left the office and was out of sight long before Curtis, with the bill in his hand, ran down stairs, bareheaded, and looked up and down the street in search of him. Five minutes later Quincy reached his aunt's house. A "Buttons," dressed in blue livery, opened the door, and Quincy was ushered into the long parlor, which ran the full depth of the house, some sixty feet, in which he had passed many pleasant evenings. He sent up his card, and in a few moments Buttons returned and delivered the speech which Mrs. Chessman had taught him and which he had learned by heart: "Mrs. Chessman desires that you will come up at once." Quincy bounded upstairs, to the evident astonishment of Buttons, and made his way to the front chamber, which he knew was his aunt's room. She loved the sunlight, and it was a constant visitor in that room, summer and winter. His aunt did not greet him with a "how do you do?" and a hand-shake. Instead of such a formal reception, she gave him a hearty hug and kissed him three times, once on the forehead, then on the cheek, and finally on the lips, in which latter osculation Quincy took part. His aunt led him to an easy-chair, then threw herself upon a lounge opposite to him. She eyed him attentively for a moment. "Quincy," said she, "you are better looking than ever; you're almost as good looking as Robert was, and he was the handsomest man I ever saw. How many different country girls have you kissed since you saw me last?" "I kept the count," said Quincy, "till I went to a surprise party a week ago Monday, and then I lost it." "Of all the kisses that you have had, whose do you prize the most?" "Those from my beloved Aunt Ella," replied Quincy. Aunt Ella smiled and said, "You know how to keep on the right side of an old woman who has got money." "I didn't think of that until you called my attention to it," said Quincy gravely. "And I didn't believe it when I said it," added Aunt Ella. A few moments later she rang and ordered a light lunch. When this was over she went to an old secretary with brass handles, opened a drawer, and took out a cigar box. "I have a few of Robert's cigars left," she said. Quincy took one and resumed his seat in the easy-chair. Aunt Ella opened another drawer in the secretary and took out a pouch of tobacco, a package of rice paper and a box of wax tapers. She put these articles on a small diamond-shaped table and placed the table between Quincy and herself. She handed Quincy the match-box, then deftly rolling a cigarette, she lighted it, leaned back upon the lounge and blew rings of smoke into the air, which she watched until they broke. "Do you think it's horribly unbecoming for me to smoke?" she asked, looking at Quincy. "Do you wish me to express my real thoughts?" replied Quincy, "or flatter you because you have money?"