equel.

'Ah!' breathed Mr Brindley when we were outside, in front of the Town
Hall. 'She was quite right about that clock.'

After that we turned silently into a long illuminated street which rose
gently. The boxes of light were flashing up and down it, but otherwise
it seemed to be quite deserted. Mr Brindley filled a pipe and lit it as
he walked. The way in which that man kept the match alight in a fresh
breeze made me envious. I could conceive myself rivalling his exploits
in cigarette-making, the purchase of rare books, the interpretation of
music, even (for a wager) the drinking of beer, but I knew that I
should never be able to keep a match alight in a breeze. He threw the
match into the mud, and in the mud it continued miraculously to burn
with a large flame, as though still under his magic dominion. There are
some things that baffle the reasoning faculty. 'Well,' I said, 'she
must have been a pretty woman once.'

'"Pretty," by God!' he replied, 'she was beautiful. She was considered
the finest piece in Hanbridge at one time. And let me tell you we're
supposed to have more than our share of good looks in the Five Towns.'

'What--the women, you mean?'

'Yes.'

'And she never married?'

'No.'

'Nor--anything?'

'Oh no,' he said carelessly.

'But you don't mean to tell me she's never--' I was just going to
exclaim, but I did not, I said: 'And it's her sister who is Mrs
Colclough?'

'Yes.' He seemed to be either meditative or disinclined to talk.
However, my friends have sometimes hinted to me that when my curiosity
is really aroused, I am capable of indiscretions.

'So one sister rattles about in an expensive motor-car, and the other
serves behind a bar!' I observed.

He glanced at me.

'I expect it's a bit difficult for you to understand,' he answered;
'but you must remember you're in a democratic district. You told me
once you knew Exeter. Well, this isn't a cathedral town. It's about a
century in front of any cathedral town in the world. Why, my good sir,
there's practically no such thing as class distinction here. Both my
grandfathers were working potters. Colclough's father was a joiner who
finished up as a builder. If Colclough makes money and chooses to go to
Paris and get the best motor-car he can, why in Hades shouldn't his
wife ride in it? If he is fond of music and can play like the devil,
that isn't his sister-in-law's fault, is it? His wife was a dressmaker,
at least she was a dressm