d gently, thereby proving herself, the young man
considered, at least his equal in resourcefulness. "It's much more
likely," she continued, as Mr. Twist gazed at her without moving, "that
she'll come for you than for me. My sister," she explained to the young
man, "is older than I am."

"Then certainly I should say Mr. Twist is more likely--"

"But only about twenty minutes older."

"What? A twin? I say, how extraordinarily jolly. Two of you?"

"Anna-Felicitas," interrupted Mr. Twist, "you will go to your sister
immediately. She needs you. She's upset. I don't wish to draw Mr.
Elliott behind the scenes of family life, but as nothing seems to get
you into the office you force me to tell you that she is very, much
upset indeed, and is crying."

"Crying?" echoed Anna-Felicitas. "Christopher?" And she turned and
departed in such haste that the young man, who luckily was alert as well
as resourceful, had only just time to lean over and grab at a chair in
her way and pull it aside, and so avert a deplorable catastrophe.

"I hope it's nothing serious?" he inquired of Mr. Twist.

"Oh no. Children will cry."

"Children?"

Mr. Twist sat down at the table and lit a cigarette. "Tell me about
England," he said. "You've been wounded, I see."

"Leg," said the young man, still standing leaning on his stick and
looking after Anna-Felicitas.

"But that didn't get you six months' leave."

"Lungs," said the young man, looking down impatiently at Mr. Twist.

Then the swing doors swung to, and he sat down and poured out his tea.

He had been in the battle of Jutland, and was rescued after hours in the
water. For months he was struggling to recover, but finally tuberculosis
had developed and he was sent to California, to his sister who had
married an American and lived in the neighbourhood of Acapulco. This Mr.
Twist extracted out of him by diligent questioning. He had to question
very diligently. What the young man wanted to talk about was
Anna-Felicitas; but every time he tried to, Mr. Twist headed him off.

And she didn't come back. He waited and waited, and drank and drank.
When the teapot was empty he started on the hot water. Also he ate all
the cakes, more and more deliberately, eking them out at last with
slowly smoked cigarettes. He heard all about France and Mr. Twist's
activities there; he had time to listen to the whole story of the
ambulance from start to finish; and still she didn't come back. In vain
he tried