see him. That's to
say, if you're able to see anything or anybody for the next week out of
your unfortunate stuck-together little eyes."

"Oh but--oh but--you don't--you haven't--"

"Yes, yes, I have. Now turn your face so that I can wipe the other side
properly. There now, I caught an enormous tear. I got him just in time
before he trickled into your ear. Lord, how sore your poor little eyes
are. Don't it even cheer you to think you're going to be a
sister-in-law, Anna-Rose?"

"Oh but you don't--you haven't--" she sobbed, her face not a whit less
agonized for all his reassurances.

"Well, I know I wish I were going to be a brother-in-law," said Mr.
Twist, worried by his inability to reassure, 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 relationships, 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