“Why, father!” Everett exclaimed; “the fathers of those boys are as bad as Mathews, and old Gasbang is worse yet!”
“Gasbang was always dishonest, but he is worse now, at Peter Roper's instigation,” Darrell said.
“Gasbang says that he and Roper will send the Don to the poor-house,” Everett said.
“Not while I live,” Clarence replied; adding, “and how is everybody at the Alamar house—all well?”
Up started Willie and Clementine, eager to be the first to tell Clarence the great news.
“They had two arrivals,” Mrs. Darrell said.
“Oh, Clary! you never saw prettier babies in all your life! Both have the loveliest blue eyes,” Clementine exclaimed, joining her hands, as if in prayer, as Tisha always did when speaking of Clarence's babyhood.
“The boy has gray eyes,” Willie interposed, with authority not to be controverted. “He hasn't no blue eyes.”
“How do you know? You haven't seen them, but I have,” Clementine asserted; “and the little girl is exactly the image of Miss Mercedes. She has Miss Mercedes' blue eyes, exactly, with long, curling lashes, the little thing.”
“The girl looks like Don Gabriel, as she ought to,” Willie stated in a peremptory manner, not to be contradicted, and whilst he discussed with Clementine the looks of the babies, Clarence was informed by his mother and sisters that Elvira was the happy mother of a big, handsome boy, and Lizzie rejoiced in the possession of a beautiful little girl, which weighed nearly as much as her boy cousin. That Doña Josefa and Mrs. Beatrice Mechlin were nearly crazy with happiness, but that the craziest of all was Mr. James Mechlin, who made more “fuss” over those two babies than either Gabriel or George, and went from one house to the other all day long, watching each baby, and talking about them by the hour.