Her tiny income is so tied up that she cannot touch the capital. And I know that, careful as she is, there is never more than twelve pounds between herself and a pauper's grave, so to speak. I saw her turn a little whiter where she stood. She darted at me a glance of the deadliest reproach. I had brought her to this! To being worsted by a little jumped-up maid-servant! Million, I must say, made the most of the situation. "There y'are, you see," she exulted. "Your niece has gone and spent all that money. And you haven't got it to reimburse it. You can't pay up! Ar! Those that give 'emselves the airs of being the Prince of Wales and all the Royal Family, and there's nothing they can't do--they ought to make sure that they have something to back it up with before they start!" So true! So horribly true--poor Aunt Anastasia! She said in her controlled voice: "The money shall certainly be paid. I will write." I saw her face a mask of worry, and then she turned away. As she walked down the street towards the Strand again, I saw her sway once, a little. "Oh," I exclaimed involuntarily, "she ought not to walk. I don't believe she's well. She ought not to be alone, perhaps----" And I turned to the young man to whom I suppose I have a right to turn, since he has asked me to marry him. At that moment I felt that it was such a comfort he was there; steady and reliable and conscientious. "Mr. Brace!" I appealed to him a little shyly. "If you would be so kind! I wonder if you would mind--I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to take my aunt home?" "Oh--er--yes, I should be delighted," said Mr. Brace quickly, but flushing all over his blonde face and looking suddenly and acutely miserable. It was a great astonishment to me that the young man wasn't off to carry out this wish of mine before it had finished leaving my lips. Still, it wasn't his fault at all. Oh, no; I see his point of view quite well. "That is--Do you think, perhaps, that your aunt might not find it distasteful to be addressed by me? You see the last time she spoke to me, it was--er--not on the friendliest terms, and--er----" "Aw, look here, Mr. Brace, don't you worry!" broke in the joyously, matter-of-fact voice of London's Love. "You stay with your young lady and come on to lunch. Her aunt's being attended to all right without you. Look at that!" "That" was certainly an unexpected scene towards which Miss Vi Vassity waved her tightly gloved hand. I gazed in wonder in that direction. There, on the pavement at the end of the turning into the Strand, stood the scraggy, erect, grey-clad, frumpily hatted figure of my Aunt Anastasia. And beside her, close beside her, was the Honourable James Burke! He must have broken away from the group almost at the moment that she did, and gone up to her. What could he have said? The "cheek" of that man! Is there anybody that he wouldn't mind tackling?