she refused,
proceed at once to propose to Anna-Felicitas. But before proceeding to
Anna-Felicitas, a course he regarded with peculiar misgiving, he would
very earnestly explain to Anna-Rose the seriousness of the situation and
the necessity, the urgency, the sanity of her marrying him. These
proposals would be kept on the cool level of strict business. Every
trace of the affection with which he was so overflowing would be sternly
excluded. For instance, he wasn't going to let himself remember the feel
of Christopher's little head the afternoon before when he patted it to
comfort her. Such remembrances would be bound to bring a warmth into his
remarks which wouldn't be fair. The situation demanded the most
scrupulous fairness and delicacy in its treatment, the most careful
avoidance of taking any advantage of it. But how difficult, thought Mr.
Twist, his hand shaking as he poured himself out a glass of iced water,
how difficult when he loved the Annas so inconveniently much.

Mrs. Bilton observed the shaking of his hand, and felt more female than
ever.

Still, there it was, this situation forced upon them all by the war.
Nobody could help it, and it had to be faced with calmness,
steadfastness and tact. Calmness, steadfastness and tact, repeated Mr.
Twist, raising the water to his mouth and spilling some of it.

Mrs. Bilton observed this too, and felt still more female.

Marriage was the quickest, and really the only, way out of it. He saw
that now. The lawyer had been quite right. And marriage, he would
explain to the Annas, would be a mere formal ceremony which after the
war they--he meant, of course, she--could easily in that land of facile
and honourable divorce get rid of. Meanwhile, he would point out,
they--she, of course; bother these twins--would be safely American, and
he would undertake never to intrude love on them--her--unless by some
wonderful chance, it was wanted. Some wonderful chance ... Mr. Twist's
spectacles suddenly went dim, and he gulped down more water.

Yes. That was the line to take: the austere line of self-mortification
for the Twinkler good. One Twinkler would be his wife--again at the dear
word he had to gulp down water--and one his sister-in-law. They would
just have to agree to this plan. The position was too serious for
shilly-shallying. Yes. That was the line to take; and by the time he
had got to the coffee it was perfectly clear and plain to him.

But he felt dreadfully damp. H