It was a group whose relationships were difficult to make out, the ages of many of the children being unnaturally approximate.

There seemed to be at least seven children under three years old, and yet they all bore a strong and regrettable family likeness.

Several of the babies would hardly have been given credit for having reached walking age, yet none had been carried in.

The woman who seemed to imagine herself the mother of this rabble was distributing what looked like hurried final words of advice.

The father with a pensive eye was obviously trying to remember their names, and at intervals whispering to a man apparently twenty years his senior, whom he addressed as Sonny.