But Anna-Felicitas prevailed.  She had all Anna-Rose’s inborn horror of accepting money or other benefits from people who had no natural right to exercise their benevolences upon her, to appeal to.  Christopher, after long wrestling restored at last to pride, did sit down and write the letter that so much spoilt Mr. Twist’s breakfast next morning, while Columbus slouched about the room suggesting sentences.

It was a letter profuse in thanks for all Mr. Twist had done for them, and couched in language that betrayed the particular share Anna-Felicitas had taken in the plan; for though they both loved long words Anna-Felicitas’s were always a little the longer.  In rolling sentences that made Mr. Twist laugh in spite of his concern, they pointed out that his first duty was to his mother, and his second was not to squander his possessions in paying the hotel and railway bills of persons who had no sort of claim on him, except those general claims of humanity which he had already on the St. Luke so amply discharged.  They would refrain from paying their hotel bill, remembering his words as to the custom of the country, though their instincts were altogether against this course, but they could and would avoid causing him the further expense and trouble and waste of his no doubt valuable time of taking them to Boston, by the simple process of going there without him.  They promised to write from the Sacks and let him know of their arrival to the address at Clark he had given them, and they would never forget him as long as they lived and remained his very sincerely, A.-R., and A.-F.  Twinkler.

Mr. Twist hurried out to the office.

The clerk who had been so confidential in his manner the evening before looked at him curiously.  Yes, the young ladies had left on the 8.15 for Boston.  They had come downstairs, baggage and all, at seven o’clock, had asked for a taxi, had said they wished to go to Boston, inquired about the station, etc., and had specially requested that Mr. Twist should not be disturbed.

“They seemed in a slight hurry to be off,” said the clerk, “and didn’t like there being no train before the 8.15.  I thought you knew all about it, Mr. Twist,” he added inquisitively.

“So I did—­so I did,” said Mr. Twist, turning away to go back to his breakfast for three.

“So he did—­so he did,” muttered the clerk with a wink to the other clerk; and for a few minutes they whispered, judging from the expressions on their faces, what appeared to be very exciting things to each other.

Meanwhile the twins, after a brief struggle of extraordinary intensity at the station in getting their tickets, trying to understand the black man who seized and dealt with their luggage, and closely following him wherever he went in case he should disappear, were sitting in a state of relaxation and relief in the Boston express, their troubles over for at least several hours.