Mr. Ellis spoke crossly, as he too often did, and Dina replied drearily, "Are they? Then I wish we'd been born a hundred years old! You'd have been proud of us then, daddy, and would always have been inviting people to come and see your antique twins."
"Other children's daddies play with them and tell them stories on wet days," said Gerry, in an injured tone, as he drew his sister out of the room. "Oh, Dina, if only mamma were here!"
"Yes, wouldn't it be lovely! But her chest is not well enough for her to come home yet."
"Nurse was talking to cook yesterday," remarked Gerald, "and I overheard what was said. She told her that it was enough to make anyone's lungs bad to live in a damp house, with no end of old bones and parchments and specimens about; and that if mamma was sensible, she'd stay where she was rather than be 'turned into a mummy afore her time.'"
"And what did cookie say?" Dina inquired, with great interest.
"Oh, she said that nothing would please her more than to pile up all dad's most precious treasures in the fireplace under the copper, set them alight, and boil the clothes with them. For then, she said, they'd have been of some use in the world, and 'be cleared away decent afterwards as ashes into the dustbin.'"
Both children laughed at this, then, running to the window, they discovered that the weather had improved.
"Look!" cried Gerald. "It's clearing up. Let's go and sail our boats in the round pond."
So the twins took their boats and were soon in the home field, which belonged to an old farmer near. Some cattle were grazing here, and Gerry said, "You're farther sighted than I am, Dina; look if you can see Farmer Donn's bull anywhere about. Somebody said he wasn't safe now."
"He's nowhere that I can see," replied the little girl; "I think it's all right."