both　his　sons　at　once。
  Billy　hurried　forward　then；　tearfully；　remorsefully；
  her　face　all　sympathy；　her　arms　all　tenderness。
  ‘‘Here；　Cyril；　let　me　help　you；''　she　cried。
  Cyril　turned　abruptly。
  ‘‘Thank　God；　_some_　one's　come；''　he　groaned；
  holding　out　both　the　babies；　with　an　exuberance
  of　generosity。　　‘‘Billy；　you've　saved　my　life！''
  Billy　laughed　tremulously。
  ‘‘Yes；　I've　come；　Cyril；　and　I'll　help　every　bit
  I　can；　but　I　don't　know　a　thingnot　a　single
  thing　about　them　myself。　　Dear　me；　aren't　they
  cunning？　　But；　Cyril；　do　they　always　cry　so？''
  The　father…of…an…hour　drew　himself　stiffly　erect。
  ‘‘Cry？　　What　do　you　mean？　　Why　shouldn't
  they　cry？''　he　demanded　indignantly。　　‘‘I　want
  you　to　understand　that　Doctor　Brown　said　those
  were　A　number　I　fine　boys！　　Anyhow；　I　guess
  there's　no　doubt　they've　got　lungs　all　right；''　he
  added；　with　a　grim　smile；　as　he　pulled　out　his
  handkerchief　and　drew　it　across　his　perspiring
  brow。
  Billy　did　not　have　an　opportunity　to　show　Cyril
  how　much　or　how　little　she　knew　about　babies；
  for　in　another　minute　the　maid　had　appeared
  with　the　extra　nurse；　and　that　young　woman；
  with　trained　celerity　and　easy　confidence；
  assumed　instant　command；　and　speedily　had　peace
  and　order　restored。
  Cyril；　freed　from　responsibility；　cast　longing
  eyes；　for　a　moment；　upon　his　work；　but　the　next
  minute；　with　a　despairing　glance　about　him；　he
  turned　and　fled　precipitately。
  Billy；　following　the　direction　of　his　eyes；
  suppressed　a　smile。　　On　the　top　of　Cyril's　manuscript
  music　on　the　table　lay　a　hot…water　bottle。　　Draped
  over　the　back　of　his　favorite　chair　was　a　pink…
  bordered　baby　blanket。　　On　the　piano…stool　rested
  a　beribboned　and　beruffled　baby's　toilet　basket。
  From　behind　the　sofa　pillow　leered　ridiculously
  the　Teddy　bear；　just　as　it　had　left　Cyril's
  desperate　hand。
  No　wonder；　indeed；　that　Billy　smiled。　　Billy
  was　thinking　of　what　Marie　had　said　not　a　week
  before：
  ‘‘I　shall　keep　the　baby；　of　course；　in　the　nursery。
  I've　been　in　homes　where　they've　had　baby
  things　strewn　from　one　end　of　the　house　to　the
  other；　but　it　won't　be　that　way　here。　　In　the　first
  place；　I　don't　believe　in　it；　but；　even　if　I　did；　I'd
  have　to　be　careful　on　account　of　Cyril。　　Imagine
  Cyril's　trying　to　write　his　music　with　a　baby　in
  the　room！　　No！　　I　shall　keep　the　baby　in　the
  nursery；　if　possible；　but　wherever　it　is；　it　won't
  be　anywhere　near　Cyril's　den；　anyway。''
  Billy　suppressed　many　a　smile　during　the　days
  that　immediately　followed　the　coming　of　the
  twins。　　Some　of　the　smiles；　however；　refused　to
  be　suppressed。　　They　became；　indeed；　shamelessly
  audible　chuckles。
  Billy　was　to　sail　the　tenth；　and；　naturally；
  during　those　early　July　days；　her　time　was　pretty
  much　occupied　with　her　preparations　for　departure；
  but　nothing　could　keep　her　from　frequent；
  though　short；　visits　to　the　home　of　her　brother…
  in…law。
  The　twins　were　proving　themselves　to　be　fine；
  healthy　boys。　　Two　trained　maids；　and　two
  trained　nurses　ruled　the　household　with　a　rod　of
  iron。　　As　to　CyrilBilly　declared　that　Cyril
  was　learning　something　every　day　of　his　life　now。
  ‘‘Oh；　yes；　he's　learning　things；''　she　said　to
  Aunt　Hannah；　one　morning；　‘‘lots　of　things。
  For　instance：　he　has　his　breakfast　now；　not　when
  he　wants　it；　but　when　the　maid　wants　to　give　it
  to　himwhich　is　precisely　at　eight　o'clock　every
  morning。　　So　he's　learning　punctuality。　　And　for
  the　first　time　in　his　life　he　has　discovered　the
  astounding　fact　that　there　are　several　things
  more　important　in　the　world　than　is　the　special
  piece　of　music　he　happens　to　be　composing
  chiefly　the　twins'　bath；　the　twins'　nap；　the　twins'
  airing；　and　the　twins'　colic。''
  Aunt　Hannah　laughed；　though　she　frowned；
  too。
  ‘‘But；　surely；　Billy；　with　two　nurses　and　the
  maids；　Cyril　doesn't　have　toto''　　She
  came　to　a　helpless　pause。
  ‘‘Oh；　no；''　laughed　Billy；　‘‘Cyril　doesn't　have
  to　really　attend　to　any　of　those　thingsthough
  I　have　seen　each　of　the　nurses；　at　different　times；
  unhesitatingly　thrust　a　twin　into　his　arms　and
  bid　him　hold　the　child　till　she　comes　back。　　But
  it's　this　way。　　You　see；　Marie　must　be　kept　quiet；
  and　the　nursery　is　very　near　her　room。　　It　worries
  her　terribly　when　either　of　the　children　cries。
  Besides；　the　little　rascals　have　apparently　fixed　up
  some　sort　of　labor…union　compact　with　each　other；
  so　that　if　one　cries　for　something　or　nothing；　the
  other　promptly　joins　in　and　helps。　　So　the　nurses
  have　got　into　the　habit　of　picking　up　the　first
  disturber　of　the　peace；　and　hurrying　him　to
  quarters　remote；　and　Cyril's　den　being　the　most
  remote　of　all；　they　usually　fetch　up　there。''
  ‘‘You　meanthey　take　those　babies　into
  Cyril's　den_now_？''　　Even　Aunt　Hannah　was
  plainly　aghast。
  ‘‘Yes；''　twinkled　Billy。　　‘‘I　fancy　their
  Hygienic　Immaculacies　approved　of　Cyril's　bare
  floors；　undraped　windows；　and　generally　knick…
  knackless　condition。　　Anyhow；　they've　made　his
  den　a　sort　ofof　annex　to　the　nursery。''
  ‘‘Butbut　Cyril！　　What　does　he　say？''
  stammered　the　dumfounded　Aunt　Hannah。　　‘‘Think
  of　Cyril's　standing　a　thing　like　that！　　Doesn't　he
  do　anythingor　say　anything？''
  Billy　smiled；　and　lifted　her　brows　quizzically。
  ‘‘My　dear　Aunt　Hannah；　did　you　ever　know
  _many_　people　to　have　the　courage　to　‘say　things'
  to　one　of　those　becapped；　beaproned；　bespotless
  creatures　of　loftily　superb　superiority　known　as
  trained　nurses？　　Besides；　you　wouldn't　recognize
  Cyril　now。　　Nobody　would。　　He's　as　meek　as
  Moses；　and　has　been　ever　since　his　two　young　sons
  were　laid　in　his　reluctant；　trembling　arms。　　He
  breaks　into　a　cold　sweat　at　nothing；　and　moves
  about　his　own　home　as　if　he　were　a　stranger　and
  an　interloper；　endured　merely　on　sufferance　in
  this　abode　of　strange　women　and　strange　babies。''
  ‘‘Nonsense！''　scoffed　Aunt　Hannah。
  ‘‘But　it's　so；''　maintained　Billy；　merrily。
  ‘‘Now；　for　instance。　　You　know　Cyril　always
  has　been　in　the　habit　of　venting　his　moods　on　the
  piano　（just　as　I　do；　only　more　so）　by　playing
  exactly　as　he　feels。　　Well；　as　near　as　I　can　gather；
  he　was　at　his　usual　trick　the　next　day　after　the
  twins　arrived；　and　you　can　imagine　about　what
  sort　of　music　it　would　be；　after　what　he　had　been
  through　the　preceding　forty…eight　hours。
  ‘‘Of　course　I　don't　know　exactly　what
  happened；　but　JuliaMarie's　second　maid；　you
  knowtells　the　story。　　She's　been　with　them
  long　enough　to　know　something　of　the　way　the
  whole　household　always　turns　on　the　pivot　of
  the　master's　whims；　so　she　fully　appreciated　the
  situation。　　She　says　she　heard　him　begin　to　play；
  and　that　she　never　heard　such　queer；　creepy；
  shivery　music　in　her　life；　but　that　he　hadn't　been
  playing　five　minutes　before　one　of　the　nurses
  came　into　the　living…room　where　Julia　was　dusting；
  and　told　her　to　tell　whoever　was　playing　to
  stop　that　dreadful　noise；　as　they　wanted　to　take
  the　twins　in　there　for　their　nap。
  ‘‘　‘But　I　didn't　do　it；　ma'am；'　Julia　says。　　‘I
  wa'n't　lookin'　for　losin'　my　place；　an'　I　let　the
  young　woman　do　the　job　herself。　　An'　she　done
  it；　pert　as　you　please。　　An'　jest　as　I　was　seekin'
  a　hidin'…place　for　the　explosion；　if　Mr。　Henshaw
  didn't　come　out　lookin'　a　little　wild；　but　as　meek
  as　a　lamb；　an'　when　he　sees　me　he　asked　wouldn't
  I　please　get　him　a　cup　of　coffee；　good　an'　strong。
  An'　I　got　it。'
  ‘‘So　you　see；''　finished　Billy；　‘‘Cyril　is
  learning　thingslots　of　things。''
  ‘‘Oh；　my　grief　and　conscience！　　I　should　say
  he　was；''　half…shivered　Aunt　Hannah。　　‘‘_Cyril_
  looking　meek　as　a　lamb；　indeed！''
  Billy　laughed　merrily。
  ‘‘Well；　it　must　be　a　new　experiencefor
  Cyril。　　For　a　man　whose　daily　existence　for　years
  has　been　rubber…heeled　and　woolen…padded；　and
  whose　family　from　boyhood　has　stood　at　attention
  and　saluted　if　he　so　much　as　looked　at　them；
  it　must　be　quite　a　change；　as　things　are　now。
  However；　it'll　be　different；　of　course；　when　Marie
  is　on　her　feet　again。''
  ‘‘Does　she　know　at　all　how　things　are　going？''
  ‘‘Not　very　much；　as　yet；　though　I　believe　she
  has　begun　to　worry　some。　　She　confided　to　me
  one　day　that　she　was　glad；　of　course；　that　she
  had　two　darling　babies；　instead　of　one；　but
  that　she　was　afraid　it　might　be　hard；　just　at　first；
  to　teach　them　both　at　once　to　be　quiet；　for
  she　was　afraid　that　while　she　was　teaching　one；
  the　other　would　be　sure　to　cry；　or　do　something
  noisy。''
  ‘‘Do　something　noisy；　indeed！''　ejaculated
  Aunt　Hannah。
  ‘‘As　for　the　real　state　of　affairs；　Marie　doesn't
  dream　that　Cyril's　sacred　den　is　given　over　to
  Teddy　bears　and　baby　blankets。　　All　is；　I　hope
  she'll　be　measurably　strong　before　she　does　find
  it　out；''　laughed　Billy；　as　she　rose　to　go。
  CHAPTER　XX
  ARKWRIGHT'S　EYES　ARE　OPENED
  William　came　back　from　his　business　trip　the
  eighth