to the lady, faced them from
the edge of his bed with an air of more composure than he felt.

"I await your explanation, Sir Justin," he began, striking at once the
note which seemed to him (so far as he could guess) most likely to be
characteristic of an innocent and much-injured man.

"You shall have it," said Sir Justin grimly. "Julia, you asked this
person to my house under the impression that he was the nephew of that
particularly obnoxious fanatic, Count Herbrand Bunker, and still
engaged upon furthering his relative's philanthropic and other visionary
schemes."

"But isn't he----" began Julia with startled eyes.

"I am Count Bunker," said our hero firmly.

"The nephew in question?" inquired Sir Justin.

"Certainly, sir."

Again Sir Justin turned to his daughter.

"I have already told you what I think of your conduct under any
circumstances. What your feelings will be I can only surmise when I
inform you that I have detained this adventurer here until I had time to
despatch a wire and receive an answer from Scotland Yard."

Both Count and Julia started.

"What, sir!" exclaimed Bunker.

Quite unmoved by his protest, his captor continued, this time addressing
him--

"My memory, fortunately, is unusually excellent, and when you told me
this morning who you were related to, I recalled at once something I had
heard of your past career. It is now confirmed by the reply I received
to my telegram."

"And what, Sir Justin, does Scotland Yard have to say about me?"

"Julia," said her parent, "this unhappy young man did indeed profess
for some time a regard for his uncle's teachings, and even, I believe,
advocated them in writing. In this way he obtained the disposal of
considerable funds contributed by unsuspicious persons for ostensibly
philanthropic purposes. About two years ago these funds and Count Bunker
simultaneously disappeared, and your estimable guest was last heard of
under an assumed name in the republic of Uruguay."

Uncomfortable as his predicament was, this picture of himself as the
fraudulent philanthropist was too much for Bunker's sense of humor, and
to the extreme astonishment of his visitors he went off into a fit
of laughter so hearty and prolonged that it was some time before he
recovered his gravity.

"My dear friends," he exclaimed at last, "I am not that Bunker at all!
In fact I was only created a few weeks ago. Bring me back my clothes,
and in return I'll tell you a deuced sig