been dozing and a fly had tickled his nose. Shortly
afterwards he sniffed again, but without looking up from his perusals.
He sniffed a third time, and glanced over the top edge of THE CHURCH
TIMES at Mr Till. Calmed by the innocuous aspect of Mr Till, he bent
once more to the paper. But after an interval he was sniffing
furiously. He glanced at the window; it was open. Finally he lowered
The CHURCH TIMES, as who should say: 'I am a long-suffering man, but
really this phenomenon which assaults my nostrils must be seriously
inquired into.'

Then it was that he caught sight of the coffin, with Mr Till's hand
caressing it, and Mr Till all in black and carrying a funereal
expression. He straightened himself, pulled himself together on account
of his cloth, and said to Mr Till in his most majestic and sympathetic
graveside voice--

'Ah! my dear friend, I see that you have suffered a sad, sad
bereavement.'

That rich, resonant voice was positively thrilling when it addressed
hopeless grief. Mr Till did not know what to say, nor where to look.

'You have, however, one thing to be thankful for, very thankful for,'
said the parson after a pause, 'you may be sure the poor thing is not
in a trance.'

End of Project Gutenberg's The Grim Smile of the Five Towns, by Arnold Bennett

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