"Good afternoon, uncle."
"I should think so indeed!"
Clara of course sprang at once to the luscious first topic, as to a fruit:
"How is poor Janet bearing up?"
Edwin was very characteristically of the Five Towns in this,--he hated to admit, in the crisis itself, that anything unusual was happening or had just happened. Thus he replied negligently:
"Oh! All right!"
As though his opinion was that Janet had nothing to bear up against.
"I hear it was a very quiet funeral," said Clara, suggesting somehow that there must be something sinister behind the quietness of the funeral.
"Yes," said Edwin.
"Didn't they ask you?"