Angelo's head was resting against Luigi's; weariness had overcome him, and for the past five minutes he had been peacefully sleeping. The old ladies had dropped their voices to a lulling drone, to help him to steal the rest his brother wouldn't take him up-stairs to get. Luigi listened a moment to Angelo's regular breathing, then said in a voice barely audible:
“We were both born at the same time, but I am six months older than he is.”
“For the land's sake!”
“'Sh! don't wake him up; he wouldn't like my telling this. It has always been kept secret till now.”
“But how in the world can it be? If you were both born at the same time, how can one of you be older than the other?”
“It is very simple, and I assure you it is true. I was born with a full crop of hair, he was as bald as an egg for six months. I could walk six months before he could make a step. I finished teething six months ahead of him. I began to take solids six months before he left the breast. I began to talk six months before he could say a word. Last, and absolutely unassailable proof, the sutures in my skull closed six months ahead of his. Always just that six months' difference to a day. Was that accident? Nobody is going to claim that, I'm sure. It was ordained—it was law—it had its meaning, and we know what that meaning was. Now what does this overwhelming body of evidence establish? It establishes just one thing, and that thing it establishes beyond any peradventure whatever. Friends, we would not have it known for the world, and I must beg you to keep it strictly to yourselves, but the truth is, we are no more twins than you are.”
The two old ladies were stunned, paralyzed—petrified, one may almost say—and could only sit and gaze vacantly at each other for some moments; then Aunt Betsy Hale said impressively:
“There's no getting around proof like that. I do believe it's the most amazing thing I ever heard of.” She sat silent a moment or two and breathing hard with excitement, then she looked up and surveyed the strangers steadfastly a little while, and added: “Well, it does beat me, but I would have took you for twins anywhere.”
“So would I, so would I,” said Aunt Patsy with the emphasis of a certainty that is not impaired by any shade of doubt.
“Anybody would-anybody in the world, I don't care who he is,” said Aunt Betsy with decision.