He gulped down more water.

Anna-Felicitas couldn’t expect to go off like that for a whole morning and give Anna-Rose a horrible fright without hearing about it.  Besides, the expression on her face wanted explaining,—­a lot of explaining.  Mr. Twist didn’t like to think so, but Anna-Felicitas’s recent conduct seemed to him almost artful.  It seemed to him older than her years.  It seemed to justify the lawyer’s scepticism when he described the twins to him as children.  That young man Elliott—­

But here Mr. Twist started and lost his thread of thought, for looking once more down the garden he saw that Anna-Felicitas was coming towards the verandah, and that she was alone.  Anna-Rose had vanished.  Why had he bothered about brandy, and let Mrs. Bilton go?  He had counted, somehow, on beginning with Anna-Rose....

He seized a cigarette and lit it.  He tried vainly to keep his hand steady.  Before the cigarette was fairly plight there was Anna-Felicitas, walking in beneath the awning.

“I’m glad you’re alone,” she said, “for I want to speak to you.”

And Mr. Twist felt that his hour had come.

CHAPTER XXXVII

“Hadn’t you better have lunch first?” he asked, though he knew from the look on her face that she wouldn’t.  It was a very remarkable look.  It was as though an angel, dwelling in perfect bliss, had unaccountably got its feet wet.  Not more troubled than that; a little troubled, but not more than that.

“No thank you,” she said politely.  “But if you’ve finished yours, do you mind coming into the office?  Because otherwise Mrs. Bilton—­”

“She’s fetching me some brandy,” said Mr. Twist.

“I didn’t know you drank,” said Anna-Felicitas, even at this moment interested.  “But do you mind having it afterwards?  Because otherwise Mrs. Bilton—­”

“I guess the idea was to have it first,” said Mr. Twist.

She was however already making for the tea-room, proceeding towards it without hurry, and with a single-mindedness that would certainly get her there.

He could only follow.

In the office she said, “Do you mind shutting the door?”

“Not at all,” said Mr. Twist; but he did mind.  His hour had come, and he wasn’t liking it.  He wanted to begin with Anna-Rose.  He wanted to get things clear with her first before dealing with this one.  There was less of Anna-Rose.  And her dear little head yesterday when he patted it....  And she needed comforting....  Anna-Rose cried, and let herself be comforted....  And it was so sweet to Mr. Twist to comfort....

“Christopher—­” began Anna-Felicitas, directly he had shut the door.

“I know.  She’s mad with you.  What can you expect, Anna II.?” he interrupted in a very matter-of-fact voice, leaning against a bookcase.  Even a bookcase was better than nothing to lean against.