were all
very happy, and Mrs. Bilton, arrayed exactly as Mr. Twist had pictured
her when he engaged her in handsome black, her white hair beautifully
brushed and neat, crossed over to the Annas and gave each of them a
hearty kiss--for luck, she said--which Mr. Twist watched with an odd
feeling of jealousy.

"I'd like to do that," he thought, filled with a sudden desire to hug.
Then he said it out loud. "I'd like to do that," he said boldly. And
added, "As it's the opening day."

"I don't think it would afford you any permanent satisfaction," said
Anna-Felicitas placidly. "There's nothing really to be gained, we think,
by kissing. Of course," she added politely to Mrs. Bilton, "we like it
very much as an expression of esteem."

"Then why not in that spirit--" began Mr. Twist.

"We don't hold with kissing," said Anna-Rose quickly, turning very red.
Intolerable to be kissed _en famille_. If it had to be done at all,
kissing should be done quietly, she thought. But she and Anna-Felicitas
didn't hold with it anyhow. Never. Never. To her amazement she found
tears in her eyes. Well, of all the liquid idiots.... It must be that
she was so happy. She had never been so happy. Where on earth had her
handkerchief got to....

"Hello," said Mr. Twist, staring at her.

Anna-Felicitas looked at her quickly.

"It's merely bliss," she said, taking the corner of her beautiful new
muslin apron to Christopher's eyes. "Excess of it. We are, you know,"
she said, smiling over her shoulder at Mr. Twist, so that the corner of
her apron, being undirected, began dabbing at Christopher's perfectly
tearless ears, "quite extraordinarily happy, and all through you.
Nevertheless Anna-R." she continued, addressing her with firmness while
she finished her eyes and began her nose, "You may like to be reminded
that there's only ten minutes left now before all those cars that were
here yesterday come again, and you wouldn't wish to embark on your
career as a waitress hampered by an ugly face, would you?"

But half an hour later no cars had come. Pepper Lane was still empty.
The long shadows lay across it in a beautiful quiet, and the crickets in
the grass chirruped undisturbed. Twice sounds were heard as if something
was coming up it, and everybody flew to their posts--Li Koo to the
boiling water, Mrs. Bilton to her raised desk at the end of the room,
and the twins to the door--but the sounds passed on along the road and
died away round the next c