She came downstairs in the afternoon and lay on the horsehair sofa in the sitting-room, and held a sort of levée of her visitors. Tom was subdued, and the twins were envious—nothing uncommon ever happened to them! They knew too much or were too cautious, but they sat on two stools by the window and followed Mrs. Beauchamp's movements with their uncanny eyes, until the concentrated gaze made her nervous.
"Both of we would like to be your children," said Dash suddenly.
Mrs. Beauchamp tried to feel grateful for the compliment, and to hide the dismay it inspired.
"It seems rather hard," Dot added, "that Susie should have everything—and a mother too—and we haven't."
"Perhaps you may share me," she suggested.
But the twins viewed the position gloomily. "Us two like things of our own," they said.
"Well, you can't have mother," said Dick doggedly. "You can have our buckets when we leave, and my boat, and Amy's shells."
"Oh, not my shells," cried Amy, aggrieved.
"That's selfish of you," said Tom; "but I have a proper collection, and you haven't. You can have nurse," he generously added.
"Oh no, not nurse," said Dick.