were fine, so every day Diana and I
watched for the small cloud in the distance that should herald their
approach, and one day it appeared, no bigger than a man's hand. When
it came nearer it was considerably bigger, and it finally assumed
the dimensions of Zerlina, Hyacinth, the twins, Teddy, and a small
nursery-maid. Betty was immensely delighted with the twins, her one
ambition in life being to have twins of her own. Failing that, and every
birthday only brought fresh disappointment in its wake, the care of
somebody else's was the next best thing.

They really were delicious people, so round and so solemn. Hugh, for
the moment, was engrossed in Teddy; Teddy having, among other things,
a knife with "things in it," most of which he was mercifully unable to
open. It was the certainty of being able to do so on the part of Hugh,
which made him so deliriously busy. Sara was out of it, having no one
as yet to play with, and she was proud and disdainful in consequence. I
knew that Betty would shortly have one twin to spare, perhaps two, but
this Sara could not guess, knowing nothing of twins.

"Now, Sara," I said, "we will build a castle all for our very own
selves."

"Our velly, velly own selves," said Sara, hugging her spade with
ecstasy. "A velly, velly big castle."

"Very, very big," I replied.

"A bemormous castle?"

"An enormous castle," I said, starting to dig the foundations.

"Dat's a velly, velly vitty hole," said Sara.

"It's going to be a castle, darling."

"For Yaya to live in?"

"Perhaps."

"And Nannie and Aunt Woggles and Hugh and Betty and muvver?"

Sara danced with joy at the prospect, and Sara dancing in
bathing-drawers was distracting. I dug industriously, however, and it
was very hot. Sara looked on, occasionally watering the castle and me
too.

"Not too much water, darling," I said, "because it makes Aunt Woggles so
wet."

Sara subsided for the moment. "Is it a velly big castle?" she asked
every now and then with evident anxiety.

"It's going to be, darling," I said.

"It's a velly, velly small castle now," she said sadly.

I dug harder and harder, and it seemed to me that the castle was
becoming quite a respectable size, but Sara's interest had flagged.

"Aunt Woggles," she said.

"Yes, darling," I answered.

"Sall we dig a velly, velly deep hole, velly, velly deep, for all ve
cwabs, and all ve vitty fish, and Nannie and Aunt Woggles?"

"A very big hole," I said; "but look a