"well, uncle, that's capital! I shall be delighted to
have our family life back again."

"Yes, the house will seem really furnished then," he continued. "Well,
good night, my boy!"

"Good night, uncle."

Then I left him.

Now, although this legitimate conjugal desire of my uncle's was quite
rational on his part, you may nevertheless imagine that I went to bed
rather puzzled. Which of my aunts should I see arrive? My uncle had
acquainted me with this design in such an artless manner that it never
occurred to me to venture any question on the subject. I began therefore
to form conjectures based upon his present frame of mind, as to which of
his wives he had probably selected.

I commenced by setting aside my aunt Cora, of the Isle of Bourbon. It
was not very likely that the Pasha wanted to add to his past ontological
researches upon the coloured races. Excluding also my aunt Christina de
Postero, whose adventure with Jean Bonaffe had brought her into
disgrace, there remained only my aunt Lia Ben Levy, my aunt Gretchen Van
Cloth, and my aunt Eudoxie de Cornalis, so that the question was now
considerably narrowed. Still I must confess that it was not much use my
setting all my powers of induction to work, taking as my premises the
captain's age, his present tastes, his plans, &c. All I succeeded in
doing was to lose myself in a maze of affirmations and contradictions
from which I could find no way out. The best thing to be done was to
wait. So I waited.

I had not long to wait for that matter. Two days after, while I was in
my room, I saw a carriage drive up. Its only occupant was a lady, who
seemed to me to be very handsome and very elegantly dressed. On the box,
by the coachman's side, sat a lady's maid; behind were two men-servants
of superior style in their travelling livery. The carriage stopped. At
the sound of the wheels on the gravel, my uncle's window opened.

"Hoi! is that you?" he shouted. "How are you, my dear!"

"How are you, captain!" replied the lady. "You see you have not been
forgotten, you ungrateful wretch!"

"Thanks for that. Nor am I any more forgetful on my side."

"That's all right," replied the lady; "but why don't you come down and
give me a hand? You're very gallant!"

"Well, my dear, I'm coming as fast as I can!" said my uncle.

I must confess I still remained somewhat puzzled at the sight of this
fair traveller, whose appearance did not recall to me any of my aunts.
Could Barbass