Christopher and Columbus (49 page)

"Anna-Rose," he said, his voice trembling, "I
want to put my arm round you. That's because I love you. And if
you'll let me do that I could tell you of a way there is out of
this for you. But I can't tell you so well unless--unless you
let me put my arm round you first...."

He waited trembling. She only sobbed. He couldn't even be
sure she was listening. So he put his arm round her to try. At
least she didn't resist. So he drew her closer. She didn't
resist that either. He couldn't even be sure she knew about it.
So he put his other arm round her too, and though he couldn't
be sure, he thought--he hardly dared think, but it did seem as
if--she nestled.

Happiness, such as in his lonely, loveless life he had never
imagined, flooded Mr. Twist. He looked down at her face, which was
now so close to his, and saw that her eyes were shut. Great sobs
went on shaking her little body, and her tears, now that he
wasn't wiping them, were rolling down her cheeks unchecked.

He held her closer to him, close to his heart where she
belonged, and again he had that sensation, that wonderful
sensation, of nestling.

"Little Blessed, the way out is so simple," he
whispered. "Little Blessed, don't you see?"

But whether Anna-Rose saw seemed very doubtful. There was only
that feeling, as to which he was no doubt mistaken, of nestling to
go on. Her eyes, anyhow, remained shut, and her body continued to
heave with sobs.

He bent his head lower. His voice shook. "It's so, so
simple," he whispered. "All you've got to do is to
marry me."

And as she made an odd little movement in his arms he held her
tighter and began to talk very fast.

"No, no," he said, "don't answer anything
yet. Just listen. Just let me tell you first. I want to tell you to
start with how terribly I love you. But that doesn't mean
you've got to love me--you needn't if you don't want
to--if you can't--if you'd rather not I'm eighteen
years older than you, and I know what I'm like to look at--no,
don't say anything yet--just listen quiet first--but if you
married me you'd be an American right away, don't you see?
Just as Anna-Felicitas is going to be English. And I always
intended going back to England as soon as may be, and if you
married me what is to prevent your coming too? Coming to England?
With Anna-Felicitas and her husband. Anna-Rose--little
Blessed--think of it--all of us together. There won't be any
aliens in that quartette, I guess, and the day you marry me
you'll be done with being German for good and all. And
don't you get supposing it matters about your not loving me,
because, you see, I love you so much, I adore you so terribly, that
anyhow there'll be more than enough love to go round, and you
needn't ever worry about contributing any if you don't feel
like it--"

Mr. Twist broke off abruptly. "What say?" he said, for
Anna-Rose was making definite efforts to speak. She was also making
definite and unmistakable movements, and this time there could be
no doubt about it; she was coming closer.

"What say?" said Mr. Twist breathlessly, bending his
head.

"But I do," whispered Anna-Rose.

"Do what?" said Mr. Twist, again breathlessly.

She turned her face up to his. On it was the same look he had
lately seen on Anna-Felicitas's, shining through in spite of
the disfiguration of her tears.

"But--
of course
I do," whispered Anna-Rose, an
extraordinary smile, an awe-struck sort of smile, coming into her
face at the greatness of her happiness, at the wonder of it.

"What? Do what?" said Mr. Twist, still more
breathlessly.

"I--always did," whispered Anna-Rose.

"
What
did you always did?" gasped Mr. Twist, hardly
able to believe it, and yet--and yet--there on her little face, on
her little transfigured face, shone the same look.

"Oh--
love
you," sighed Anna-Rose, nestling as close as she
could get.

* * * * *

It was Mr. Twist himself who got on a ladder at five minutes
past four that afternoon and pasted a strip of white paper
obliquely across the sign of The Open Arms with the word.

SHUT

on it in big letters. Li Koo held the foot of the ladder. Mr.
Twist had only remembered the imminence of four o'clock and the
German inrush a few minutes before the hour, because of his being
so happy; and when he did he flew to charcoal and paper. He got the
strip on only just in time. A car drove up as he came down the
ladder.

"What?" exclaimed the principal male occupant of the
car, pointing, thwarted and astonished, to the sign.

"Shut," said Mr. Twist.

"Shut?"

"Shut."

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