'Well,' said Twemlow, 'take firing. I hear you still pay your firemen
by the oven, and your placers by the day, instead of settling all
oven-work by scorage.'

'Tell me about that--the Trenton system. I'd like to hear about that.
It's been mentioned once or twice,' said Stanway, resuming his chair.

'Mentioned!'

Ethel perceived vaguely that the forceful man who held her in the hollow
of his hand had met more than his match. Over that spectacle she
rejoiced like a small child; but at the same time Arthur Twemlow's
absolute conviction that the Five Towns was losing ground frightened
her, made her feel that life was earnest, and stirred faint longings for
the serious way. It seemed to her that she was weighed down by knowledge
of the world, whereas gay Millicent, and Rose with her silly
examinations.... She plunged again into the actuality of the letter from
Paris....

'I called really to speak to you about my father's estate.'

Ethel was startled into attention by the sudden careful politeness in
Arthur Twemlow's manner and by a quivering in his voice.

'What of it?' said Stanway. 'I've forgotten all the details. Fifteen
years since, you know.'

'Yes. But it's on behalf of my sister, and I haven't been over before.
Besides, it wasn't till she heard I was coming to England that
she--asked me.'

'Well,' said Stanway. 'Of course I was the sole executor, and it's my
duty----'

'That's it,' Twemlow broke in. 'That's what makes it a little awkward.
No one's got the right to go behind you as executor. But the fact is, my
sister--we--my sister was surprised at the smallness of the estate. We
want to know what he did with his money, that is, how much he really
received before he died. Perhaps you won't mind letting me look at the
annual balance-sheets of the old firm, say for 1875, 6, and 7. You
see----'

Twemlow stopped as Stanway half-turned to look at the door between the
two rooms.

'Go on, go on,' said Stanway in his grandiose manner. 'That's all
right.'

Ethel knew in a flash that her father would have given a great deal to
have had the door shut, and equally that nothing on earth would have
induced him to shut it.

'That's all right,' he repeated. 'Go on.'

Twemlow's voice regained steadiness. 'You can perhaps understand my
sister's feelings.' Then a long pause. 'Naturally, if you don't care to
show me the balance-sheets----'

'My dear Twemlow,' said John stiffly, 'I shall be delighted to show you