“Can’t any of you remember?” repeated Mrs. Pratt. “How long was it?”
“Well—as near as I can remember,” said Jig-gins, in a faltering voice, “it’s—about—I should think—somewhere near—perhaps—the neighborhood of half an hour—that is, more or less.”
“About half an hour. I thought so,” said Mrs. Pratt, remorselessly.
“Somewhere about that,” said Jiggins.
“Till he felt his fust pains?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Pratt, with a benevolent smile, “somewhere about half an hour from this you’ll feel the same.”
She paused, and watched the effect of this fearful announcement.
The effect was powerful. Four pale faces looked, with awful eyes, at her, and at one another. Not a word was spoken in reply.
“Yes, every one of you. You’ve all eaten, I s’pose.”