orks for half an hour. Both of them were electrically
charged with importance.

Amid the general self-consciousness Maggie took the baby, and Clara and
Mrs Hamps kissed each other tenderly, as though saying, "Affliction is
upon us." It was impossible, in the circumstances, to proceed to minute
inquiry about the health of the children, but Mrs Hamps expressed all
her solicitude in a look, a tone, a lingering of lip on lip. The years
were drawing together Mrs Hamps and her namesake. Edwin was often
astonished at the increasing resemblance of Clara to her aunt, with
whom, thanks to the unconscious intermediacy of babies, she was even
indeed quite intimate. The two would discuss with indefatigable gusto
all the most minute physical details of motherhood and infancy: and
Auntie Clara's presents were worthy of her reputation.

As soon as the kiss was accomplished--no other greeting of any kind
occurred--Clara turned sharply to Edwin--

"What's this about father?"

"Oh! He's had a bit of a shock. He's pretty much all right to-day."

"Because Albert's just heard--" She looked at Albert.

Edwin was thunderstruck. Was the tale of his father's indisposition
spread all over the Five Towns? He had thought that the arrival of
Clara and her husband must be due to Auntie Hamps having called at their
house on her way up to Bleakridge. But now he could see, even from his
auntie's affrighted demeanour alone, that the Benbows' visit was an
independent affair.

"Are you sure he's all right?" Albert questioned, in his superiorly
sagacious manner, which mingled honest bullying with a little
good-nature.

"Because Albert just heard--" Clara put in again.

The company then heard what Albert had just heard. At his works before
breakfast an old hollow-ware-presser, who lived at Turnhill, had
casually mentioned that his father-in-law, Mr Clayhanger, had been
cutting a very peculiar figure on the previous evening at Turnhill. The
hollow-ware-presser had seen nothing personally; he had only been told.
He could not or would not particularise. Apparently he possessed in a
high degree the local talent for rousing an apprehension by the offer of
food, and then under ingenious pretexts refusing the food. At any rate,
Albert had been startled, and had communicated his alarm to Clara.
Clara had meant to come up a little later in the morning, but she wanted
Albert to come with her, and Albert, being exceedingly busy, had only
the b