of one's own, and, besides--"

"Besides, when a young fellow is ashamed of his old aunts, he can
easily find reasons."

"Hush, Selina!" interposed Miss Leaf. "My dear boy, your old aunts
would never let you inconvenience yourself for them. Take us to an
inn for the night, and to morrow we will find lodgings for
ourselves."

Ascott looked greatly relieved.

"And you are not vexed with me, Aunt Johanna?" said he, with
something of his old childish tone of compunction, as he saw--he
could not help seeing--the utter weariness which Johanna tried so
hard to hide.

"No, my dear, not vexed. Only I wish we had known this a little
sooner that we might have made arrangements. Now, where shall we go?"

Ascott mentioned a dozen hotels, but they found he only knew them by
name. At last Miss Leaf remembered one, which her father used to go
to, on his frequent journeys to London, and whence, indeed, he had
been brought home to die. And though all the recollections about it
were sad enough, still it felt less strange than the rest, in this
dreariness of London. So she proposed going to the "Old Bell,"
Holborn.

"A capital place!" exclaimed Ascott, eagerly. "And I'll take and
settle you there: and we'll order supper, and make a jolly night of