The foregoing are a few of the qualifications which Zerlina thinks
essential in aunts. There are others, and the greatest of them is
love. Zerlina forgot to mention that.




Chapter II


But Diana! That is another story. Open the windows wide, let in
the fresh air, the whispering of trees, the song of the birds, and
all that is good and beautiful in nature. The very thought of
Diana is sunshine. She is as God meant us to be, happy and good,
believing in the goodness of others, slow to find evil in them,
quick to forgive it, infinitely pitiful of the sorrows of the
suffering. This is Diana, and she has three children, Betty,
Hugh, and Sara. Allah be praised!

You do not imagine that I dislike Zerlina, do you? I should be
sorry to give that impression. But a professional aunt must be
above all things absolutely straightforward and truthful.

I had been engaged for weeks to go to Hames for the first shoot,
and an urgent telegram from Zerlina, followed by a feverish
letter, failed to move me from my purpose. The telegram, by the
way, ran as follows: "Can you Tuesday for fortnight. Do. Urgent.
ZERLINA." I wondered why Zerlina elected to leave out "come." If
I had been strictly economizing, I should have saved on the "do."
The letter followed in due course of time: -