Mr. Twist was a pale man, whose skin under no circumstances changed colour except in his ears. These turned red when he was stirred, and they were red now, and seemed translucent with the bright light behind him shining through them. The twins flew to him. It was wonderful how much pleased they were to see him again. It was as if for years they had been separated from their dearest friend. The few hours since the night before had been enough to turn their friendship and esteem for him into a warm proprietary affection. They felt that Mr. Twist belonged to them. Even Anna-Felicitas felt it, and her eyes as she beheld him were bright with pleasure. "Oh there you are," cried Anna-Rose darting forward, gladness in her voice, and catching hold of his arm. "We've come," said Anna-Felicitas, beaming and catching hold of his other arm. "We got into difficulties," said Anna-Rose. "We got into them at once," said Anna-Felicitas. "They weren't our difficulties--" "They were the Sacks'--" "But they reacted on us--" "And so here we are." "Who is it, Edward?" asked the voice inside. "Mrs. Sack ran away yesterday from Mr. Sack," went on Anna-Rose eagerly. "Mr. Sack was still quite warm and moist from it when we got there," said Anna-Felicitas. "Aunt Alice said we weren't ever to stay in a house where they did that," said Anna-Rose. "Where there wasn't a lady," said Anna-Felicitas "So when we saw that she wasn't there because she'd gone, we turned straight round to you," said Anna. Rose. "Like flowers turning to the sun," said Anna-Felicitas, even in that moment of excitement not without complacency at her own aptness. "And left our things at the station," Anna-Rose rushed on. "And ran practically the whole way," said Anna-Felicitas, "because of perhaps being late for supper and you're having eaten it all, and we so dreadfully hungry--" "Who is it, Edward?" again called the voice inside, louder and more insistently. Mr. Twist didn't answer. He was quickly turning over the situation in his mind. He had not mentioned the twins to his mother, which would have been natural, seeing how very few hours he had of reunion with her, if she hadn't happened to have questioned him particularly as to his fellow-passengers on the boat. Her questions had been confined to the first-class passengers, and he had said, truthfully, that he had hardly spoken to one of them, and not at all to any of the women.