He opened the door gently. 'Becky! Joe! No, don't you come, Madge, darling. It's all right. The old lady wants to say "Good-day" to the children.'
The two children tripped into the passage, with napkins tied round their chins, their mouths greasy, but the rest of their persons unfamiliarly speckless and tidy. They stood still at the sight of their grandmother, so stern and frowning. Henry shut the door carefully.
'My lambs!' Natalya cried, in her sweetest but harsh tones, 'Won't you come and kiss me?'
Becky, a mature person of seven, advanced courageously and surrendered her cheek to her grandmother.
'How are you, granny?' she said ceremoniously.
'And Joseph?' said Natalya, not replying. 'My heart and my crown, will he not come?'
The four-and-a-half year old Joseph stood dubiously, with his fist in his mouth.
'Bring him to me, Becky. Tell him I want you and him to come and live with me.'
Becky shrugged her precocious shoulders. 'He may. I won't,' she said laconically.
'Oh, Becky!' said the grandmother. 'Do you want to stay here and torture your poor mother?'