Part 55 (1/2)

”Oh but you don't--you haven't--” she sobbed, her face not a whit less agonized for all his rea.s.surances.

”Well, I know I wish I were going to be a brother-in-law,” said Mr.

Twist, worried by his inability to rea.s.sure, as he tenderly and carefully dabbed about the corners of her eyes and her soaked eyelashes.

”My, shouldn't I think well of myself.”

Then his hand shook.

”I wish I were going to be Anna-Felicitas's brother-in-law,” he said, suddenly impelled, perhaps by this failure to get rid of the misery in her face, to hurl himself on his fate. ”Not _yours_--get your mind quite clear about that,--but Anna-Felicitas's.” And his hand shook so much that he had to leave off drying. For this was a proposal. If only Anna-Rose would see it, this was a proposal.

Anna-Rose, however, saw nothing. Even in normal times she wasn't good at relations.h.i.+ps, and had never yet understood the that-man's-father-was-my-father's-son one; now she simply didn't hear. She was sitting with her hands limply in her lap, and sobbing in a curious sort of anguish.

He couldn't help being struck by it. There was more in this than he had grasped. Again he forgot himself and his proposal. Again he was overwhelmed by the sole desire to help and comfort.

He put his hand on the two hands lying with such an air of being forgotten on her lap. ”What is it?” he asked gently. ”Little dear one, tell me. It's clear I'm not dead on to it yet.”

”Oh--Columbus--”

She seemed to writhe in her misery.

”Well yes, yes Columbus. We know all about that.”

Anna-Rose turned her quivering face to him. ”Oh, you haven't seen--you don't see--it's only me that's seen--”

”Seen what? What haven't I seen? Ah, don't cry--don't cry like that--”

”Oh, I've lost her--lost her--”

”Lost her? Because she's marrying?”

”Lost her--lost her--” sobbed Anna-Rose.

”Come now,” remonstrated Mr. Twist. ”Come now. That's just flat contrary to the facts. You've lost nothing, and you've gained a brother.”

”Oh,--lost her--lost her,” sobbed Anna-Rose.

”Come, come now,” said Mr. Twist helplessly.

”Oh,” she sobbed, looking at him out of her piteous eyes, ”has n.o.body thought of it but me? Columbus hasn't. I--I know she hasn't from what--from what--she said. She's too--too happy to think. But--haven't you thought--haven't you seen--that she'll be English now--really English--and go away from me to England with him--and I--I can't go to England--because I'm still--I'm still--an alien enemy--and so I've lost her--lost her--lost my own twin--”

And Anna-Rose dropped her head on to her knees and sobbed in an abandonment of agony.

Mr. Twist sat without saying or doing anything at all. He hadn't thought of this; nor, he was sure, had Anna-Felicitas. And it was true. Now he understood Anna-Rose's face and the despair of it. He sat looking at her, overwhelmed by the realization of her misfortune. For a moment he was blinded by it, and didn't see what it would mean for him. Then he did see. He almost leaped, so sudden was the vision, and so luminous.

”Anna-Rose,” he said, his voice trembling, ”I want to put my arm round you. That's because I love you. And if you'll let me do that I could tell you of a way there is out of this for you. But I can't tell you so well unless--unless you let me put my arm round you first....”

He waited trembling. She only sobbed. He couldn't even be sure she was listening. So he put his arm round her to try. At least she didn't resist. So he drew her closer. She didn't resist that either. He couldn't even be sure she knew about it. So he put his other arm round her too, and though he couldn't be sure, he thought--he hardly dared think, but it did seem as if--she nestled.