id Miss Roberts.

'Because she may have gone to France with Uncle Henry!' Jimmy suggested.

'We will not imagine anything of the kind, if you please!'

'No,' said Jimmy, 'but suppose she has gone to France, you know.'

As he spoke, the cab stopped before a large grocer's shop, and without
losing a moment Miss Roberts stepped out of the cab, followed by Jimmy.

'Will you kindly let me look at a Directory?' she asked; and the tall
young man behind the counter said--

'Certainly, miss.' He brought the thickest red book which Jimmy had ever
seen, and Miss Roberts opened it at once.

'Miss Selina Morton--is that your aunt's name?' she asked, looking round
at Jimmy.

'Ye--es,' he answered sorrowfully, for he guessed that she had found out
the number.

'Come along then,' said Miss Roberts, and Jimmy walked slowly towards
the door. 'Thank you, I am very much obliged,' she continued, smiling at
the shopman; but Jimmy did not feel in the least obliged to him. Miss
Roberts told the cabman the number, and when the horse started again she
turned cheerfully to the boy--

'We shall soon be there now!' she said.

'I wish we shouldn't,' answered Jimmy.

'Don't you like your Aunt Selina?' asked Miss Roberts.

'Not at all,' said Jimmy.

'Why don't you like her?' asked Miss Roberts. 'You ought to like an
aunt, you know.'

'I don't know why, only I don't,' was the answer.

It did not take many minutes to drive to Gloucester Place, and although
Jimmy did not know what would happen to him if Aunt Selina was out of
town, still he almost hoped she had gone to France.

But the shutters were not shut at this house, although each of the
blinds was drawn exactly a quarter of the way down. Jimmy saw a large
tortoise-shell cat lying on one of the window sills, whilst a black cat
watched it from inside the room.

'If they do not keep us long at the door,' said Miss Roberts, as she
rang the bell, 'I can manage just to catch my train.'

It was past two o'clock, and Jimmy thought he could smell something like
hot meat. He supposed that if he stayed at Aunt Selina's he should have
some dinner, and that would be a good thing at any rate.

The door was opened by a tall, thin butler, who looked very solemn and
important. He did not stand quite upright, and he had gray whiskers and
a bald head. If he had not opened the door, so that Jimmy knew he was
the butler, he might have been mistaken for a clergyman.

'Is Miss Morton at home?'