saw that
his two persecutors were regarding him with a steady, determined gaze.
In spite of himself, Jimmy raised his eyes to theirs.

"Twins!" was their laconic answer.

Now, Jimmy had heard Maggie's announcement about the bountiful supply
of offspring lately arrived at her house, but not until he caught the
fanatical gleam in the eyes of his companions did he understand the
part they meant him to play in their next adventure. He waited for no
explanation--he bolted toward the door.

"Wait, Jimmy," commanded Aggie. But it was not until she had laid firm
hold of him that he waited.

Surprised by such strange behaviour on the part of those whom she
considered her superiors, Maggie looked first at Aggie, then at Jimmy,
then at Zoie, uncertain whether to go or to stay.

"Anythin' to go back, mum?" she stammered.

Zoie stared at Maggie solemnly from across the foot of the bed.
"Maggie," she asked in a deep, sepulchral tone, "where do you live?"

"Just around the corner on High Street, mum," gasped Maggie. Then,
keeping her eyes fixed uneasily on Zoie she picked up her basket and
backed cautiously toward the door.

"Wait!" commanded Zoie; and Maggie paused, one foot in mid-air. "Wait in
the hall," said Zoie.

"Yes'um," assented Maggie, almost in a whisper. Then she nodded her
head jerkily, cast another furtive glance at the three persons who were
regarding her so strangely, and slipped quickly through the door.

Having crossed the room and stealthily closed the door, Aggie returned
to Jimmy, who was watching her with the furtive expression of a trapped
animal.

"It's Providence," she declared, with a grave countenance.

Jimmy looked up at Aggie with affected innocence, then rolled his round
eyes away from her. He was confronted by Zoie, who had approached from
the opposite side of the room.

"It's Fate," declared Zoie, in awe-struck tones.

Jimmy was beginning to wriggle, but he kept up a last desperate presence
of not understanding them.

"You needn't tell me I'm going to take the wash to the old lady," he
said, "for I'm not going to do it."

"It isn't the WASH," said Aggie, and her tone warned him that she
expected no nonsense from him.

"You know what we are thinking about just as well as we do," said Zoie.
"I'll write that washerwoman a note and tell her we must have one of
those babies right now." And with that she turned toward her desk and
began rummaging amongst her papers for a pencil and pad.