I　would　start　one　way；　Luigi　would　start　another；　at　the　same　moment
  the　result　would　be　a　standstill；　wouldn't　it？〃
  〃As　sure　as　you　are　born！　　Now　ain't　that　wonderful！　　A　body　would　never
  have　thought　of　it。〃
  〃We　should　always　be　arguing　and　fussing　and　disputing　over　the　merest
  trifles。　　We　should　lose　worlds　of　time；　for　we　couldn't　go　down…stairs
  or　up；　couldn't　go　to　bed；　couldn't　rise；　couldn't　wash；　couldn't　dress；
  couldn't　stand　up；　couldn't　sit　down；　couldn't　even　cross　our　legs；
  without　calling　a　meeting　first　and　explaining　the　case　and　passing
  resolutions；　and　getting　consent。　　It　wouldn't　ever　donow　would　it？〃
  〃Do？　　Why；　it　would　wear　a　person　out　in　a　week！　　Did　you　ever　hear
  anything　like　it；　Patsy　Cooper？〃
  〃Oh；　you'll　find　there's　more　than　one　thing　about　them　that　ain't
  commonplace；〃　said　the　widow；　with　the　complacent　air　of　a　person　with　a
  property　right　in　a　novelty　that　is　under　admiring　scrutiny。
  〃Well；　now；　how　ever　do　you　manage　it？　　I　don't　mind　saying　I'm　suffering
  to　know。〃
  〃He　who　made　us；〃　said　Angelo　reverently；　〃and　with　us　this　difficulty；
  also　provided　a　way　out　of　it。　　By　a　mysterious　law　of　our　being；　each　of
  us　has　utter　and　indisputable　command　of　our　body　a　week　at　a　time；　turn
  and　turn　about。〃
  〃Well；　I　never！　　Now　ain't　that　beautiful！〃
  〃Yes；　it　is　beautiful　and　infinitely　wise　and　just。　　The　week　ends　every
  Saturday　at　midnight　to　the　minute；　to　the　second；　to　the　last　shade　of
  a　fraction　of　a　second；　infallibly；　unerringly；　and　in　that　instant　the
  one　brother's　power　over　the　body　vanishes　and　the　other　brother　takes
  possession；　asleep　or　awake。〃
  〃How　marvelous　are　His　ways；　and　past　finding　out！〃
  Luigi　said：　〃So　exactly　to　the　instant　does　the　change　come；　that　during
  our　stay　in　many　of　the　great　cities　of　the　world；　the　public　clocks　were
  regulated　by　it；　and　as　hundreds　of　thousands　of　private　clocks　and
  watches　were　set　and　corrected　in　accordance　with　the　public　clocks；　we
  really　furnished　the　standard　time　for　the　entire　city。〃
  〃Don't　tell　me　that　He　don't　do　miracles　any　more！　　Blowing　down　the
  walls　of　Jericho　with　rams'　horns　wa'n't　as　difficult；　in　my　opinion。〃
  〃And　that　is　not　all；〃　said　Angelo。　　〃A　thing　that　is　even　more
  marvelous；　perhaps；　is　the　fact　that　the　change　takes　note　of　longitude
  and　fits　itself　to　the　meridian　we　are　on。　　Luigi　is　in　command　this
  week。　　Now；　if　on　Saturday　night　at　a　moment　before　midnight　we　could　fly
  in　an　instant　to　a　point　fifteen　degrees　west　of　here；　he　would　hold
  possession　of　the　power　another　hour；　for　the　change　observes　local　time
  and　no　other。〃
  Betsy　Hale　was　deeply　impressed；　and　said　with　solemnity：
  〃Patsy　Cooper；　for　detail　it　lays　over　the　Passage　of　the　Red　Sea。〃
  〃Now；　I　shouldn't　go　as　far　as　that；〃　said　Aunt　Patsy；　〃but　if　you've　a
  mind　to　say　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　I　am　with　you；　Betsy　Hale。〃
  〃I　am　agreeable；　then；　though　I　do　think　I　was　right；　and　I　believe
  Parson　Maltby　would　say　the　same。　　Well；　now；　there's　another　thing。
  Suppose　one　of　you　wants　to　borrow　the　legs　a　minute　from　the　one　that's
  got　them；　could　he　let　him？〃
  〃Yes；　but　we　hardly　ever　do　that。　　There　were　disagreeable　results；
  several　times；　and　so　we　very　seldom　ask　or　grant　the　privilege；
  nowadays；　and　we　never　even　think　of　such　a　thing　unless　the　case　is
  extremely　urgent。　　Besides；　a　week's　possession　at　a　time　seems　so　little
  that　we　can't　bear　to　spare　a　minute　of　it。　　People　who　have　the　use　of
  their　legs　all　the　time　never　think　of　what　a　blessing　it　is；　of　course。
  It　never　occurs　to　them；　it's　just　their　natural　ordinary　condition；
  and　so　it　does　not　excite　them　at　all。　　But　when　I　wake　up；　on　Sunday
  morning；　and　it's　my　week　and　I　feel　the　power　all　through　me；　oh；　such　a
  wave　of　exultation　and　thanksgiving　goes　surging　over　me；　and　I　want　to
  shout　'I　can　walk！　　I　can　walk！'　　Madam；　do　you　ever；　at　your　uprising；
  want　to　shout　'I　can　walk！　　I　can　walk！'？〃
  〃No；　you　poor　unfortunate　cretur'；　but　I'll　never　get　out　of　my　bed　again
  without　doing　it！　　Laws；　to　think　I've　had　this　unspeakable　blessing　all
  my　long　life　and　never　had　the　grace　to　thank　the　good　Lord　that　gave　it
  to　me！〃
  Tears　stood　in　the　eyes　of　both　the　old　ladies　and　the　widow　said；
  softly：
  〃Betsy　Hale；　we　have　learned　something；　you　and　me。〃
  The　conversation　now　drifted　wide；　but　by　and　by　floated　back　once　more
  to　that　admired　detail；　the　rigid　and　beautiful　impartiality　with　which
  the　possession　of　power　had　been　distributed；　between　the　twins。　　Aunt
  Betsy　saw　in　it　a　far　finer　justice　than　human　law　exhibits　in　related
  cases。　　She　said：
  〃In　my　opinion　it　ain't　right　no；　and　never　has　been　right；　the　way　a
  twin　born　a　quarter　of　a　minute　sooner　than　the　other　one　gets　all　the
  land　and　grandeurs　and　nobilities　in　the　old　countries　and　his　brother
  has　to　go　bare　and　be　a　nobody。　　Which　of　you　was　born　first？〃
  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。
  〃You　won't　tell；〃　said　Luigi；　appealingly。
  〃Oh；　dear；　no！〃　answered　both　ladies　promptly；　〃you　can　trust　us；　don't
  you　be　afraid。〃
  〃That　is　good　of　you；　and　kind。　　Never　let　on；　treat　us　always　as　if　we
  were　twins。〃
  〃You　can　depend　on　us；〃　said　Aunt　Betsy；　〃but　it　won't　be　easy；　because
  now　that　I　know　you　ain't　you　don't　seem　so。〃
  Luigi　muttered　to　himself　with　satisfaction：　〃That　swindle　has　gone
  through　without　change　of　cars。〃
  It　was　not　very　kind　of　him　to　load　the　poor　things　up　with　a　secret　like
  that；　which　would　be　always　flying　to　their　tongues'　ends　every　time　they
  heard　any　one　speak　of　the　strangers　as　twins；　and　would　become　harder
  and　harder　to　hang　on　to　with　every　recurrence　of　the　temptation　to　tell
  it；　while　the　torture　of　retaining　it　would　increase　with　every　new
  strain　that　was　applied；　but　he　never　thought　of　that；　and　probably　would
  not　have　worried　much　about　it　if　he　had。
  A　visitor　was　announcedsome　one　to　see　the　twins。　　They　withdrew　to　the
  parlor；　and　the　two　old　ladies　began　to　discuss　with　interest　the　strange
  things　which　they　had　been　listening　to。　　When　they　had　finished　the
  matter　to　their　satisfaction；　and　Aunt　Betsy　rose　to　go；　she　stopped　to
  ask　a　question：
  〃How　does　things　come　on　between　Roweny　and　Tom　Driscoll？〃
  〃Well；　about　the　same。　　He　writes　tolerable　often；　and　she　answers
  tolerable　seldom。〃
  〃Where　is　he？〃
  〃In　St。　Louis；　I　believe；　though　he's　such　a　gadabout　that　a　body　can't
  be　very　certain　of　him；　I　reckon。〃
  〃Don't　Roweny　know？〃
  〃Oh；　yes；　like　enough。　　I　haven't　asked　her　lately。〃
  〃Do　you　know　how　him　and　the　judge　are　getting　along　now？〃
  〃First　rate；　I　believe。　　Mrs。　Pratt　says　so；　and　being　right　in　the
  house；　and　sister　to　the　one　and　aunt　to　t'other；　of　course　she　ought　to
  know。　　She　says　the　judge　is　real　fond　of　him　when　he's　away；　but　frets
  when　he's　around　and　is　vexed　with　his