“There’s twenty minutes’ difference between us. I heard my mater tell a visitor, and besides I’m the eldest.”
Speculation was temporarily interrupted by a bout between Smack and Mac, because neither was allowed to claim priority. At the end of an indecisive round Michael struck in:
“But why are there twins? People don’t like twins coming, because in Ally Sloper there’s always a joke about twins.”
“I know married people who haven’t got any children at all,” said Norton in order still more elaborately to complicate the point at issue.
“Yes, there you are,” said Michael. “There’s some secret about marriage.”
“There’s a book in my mater’s room which I believe would tell us,” hinted Smack.
“There’s a good deal in the Bible,” Norton observed. “Only it’s difficult to find the places and then you can’t tell for certain what they mean.”
Then came a long whispering at the end of which the four boys shook their heads very wisely and said that they were sure that was it.
“Hullo!” Michael shouted, forgetting the debate. “Young Dicky’s signalling.”
“Indians,” said Mac.