He decided that he would be quiet until Edith came back, and then ask his mother to go to the drawing-room with him, and while Edith was looking after the Annas he would, well out of earshot, explain them to his mother, describe their situation, commend them to her patience and her love. He sat silent therefore, wishing extraordinarily hard that Edith would be quick. But Anna-Felicitas's eyes were upon him now, as well as his mother's. "Is it possible," she asked with her own peculiar gentleness, balancing a piece of patty on her fork, "that you haven't yet mentioned us to your mother?" And Anna-Rose, struck in her turn at such an omission, paused too with food on the way to her mouth, and said, "And we such friends?" "Almost, as it were, still red-not from being with you?" said Anna-Felicitas. Both the twins looked at Mrs. Twist in their surprise. "I thought the first thing everybody did when they got back to their mother," said Anna-Rose, addressing her, "was to tell her everything from the beginning." Mrs. Twist, after an instant's astonishment at this unexpected support, bowed her head--it could hardly be called a nod--in her son's direction. "You see--" the movement seemed to say, "even these ..." "And ever since the first day at sea," said Anna-Felicitas, also addressing Mrs. Twist, "up to as recently as eleven o'clock last night, he has been what I think can be quite accurately described as our faithful two-footed companion." "Yes," said Anna-Rose. "As much as that we've been friends. Practically inseparable." "So that it really is _very_ surprising," said Anna-Felicitas to Mr. Twist, "that you didn't tell your mother about us." Mr. Twist got up. He wouldn't wait for Edith. It was unhealthy in that room. He took his mother's arm and helped her to get up. "You're very wise, you two," he flung at the twins in the voice of the goaded, "but you may take it from me you don't know everything yet. Mother, come into the drawing-room, and we'll talk. Edith'll see to these girls. I expect I ought to have talked sooner," he went on, as he led her to the door, "but confound it all, I've only been home about a couple of hours." "Five," said Mrs. Twist. "Five then. What's five? No time at all." "Ample," said Mrs Twist; adding icily, "and did I you say confound, Edward?" "Well, damn then," said Edward very loud, in a rush of rank rebellion. CHAPTER XVII This night was the turning-point in Mr. Twist's life. In it he broke loose from his mother. He spent a terrible three hours with her in the drawing-room, and the rest of the night he strode up and down his bedroom. The autumn morning, creeping round the house in long white wisps, found him staring out of his window very pale, his mouth pulled together as tight as it would go.