"No, do tell me!"
"Well," said Miss Fletcher, "one shuts one's eyes to That Side of a Man's life, but I'm afraid, Neville, that there have been Women. And some of them, I think - though of course I don't know - not what I call Nice Women."
"Men are funny like that," said Neville dulcetly.
"Yes, dear, and naturally I was very thankful, because at one time I made sure Ernie would get caught."
"Caught?"
"Marriage," explained Miss Fletcher. "That would have been a great blow to me. Only, luckily, he wasn't a very constant man."
Neville looked at her in surprise. She smiled unhappily at him, apparently unaware of having said anything remarkable. She looked the acme of respectability; a plump, faded lady, with wispy grey hair and mild eyes, red-rimmed from crying, and a prim little mouth, innocent of lip-stick.
"I'm now definitely upset," said Neville. "I think I'll go to bed."
She said distressfully: "Oh dear, is it what I've told you? But it's bound to come out, so you had to know sooner or later."
"Not my uncle; my aunt!" said Neville.