"And that's greedy," said Tom: "you want every one."
"Yes, I do," said Dick sturdily.
"Us two," said Dot suddenly, "have adopted you for our mother. It is the only way we can have you for our own."
"You can't have her," cried Tom indignantly; "she's ours."
"That doesn't matter," said Dot; "us two have settled it. She can't help us adopting her. We are her kind of children now.—Aren't we, father?"
Mr. Amherst removed the twins before it came to blows, and left the excited family sitting silently in the dusky room.
Mrs. Beauchamp, very tired and peaceful, was drawing a dispirited darning needle through very worn stockings, and by Susie's sofa sat an upright figure with keen eyes and silver hair.
"The little lady will be sleeping soon," he said. He rose and held out a horny hand.
"In a softer bed than she had last night," said Mrs. Beauchamp gently.
"Well, as we make our bed so we lie in it," he said.