'Old-fashioned? Not cut it fine enough?' Stanway exclaimed, rising.
Twemlow laughed with real mirth. 'Yes,' he said.
'Give me one instance—one instance,' cried Stanway.
'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.'