“Please stop!” he said, laughing, “I can’t listen.” He was silent for a minute.
“You make me very proud and happy,” he went on, at last. “What I did was nothing. I had a great regard for your family. And I sincerely regretted all your misfortunes. I.... It’s very kind of you to speak to me in this way——”
He held out his hand.
“Thank you again,” he said. “You don’t often find people willing to express a good opinion of one. Bad points—mistakes, they’re mentioned fast enough——”
“Don’t I know!” she cried, grasping his huge paw.
“Now!” said he, still beaming, “You’ll come home with me and see Minnie, won’t you?”
“Minnie! Here?”
“I forgot you didn’t know. I’m married to Minnie.” Frankie’s face turned quite white.
“But—married to Minnie! But ... I thought—Mr. Naylor ...?”
“He died,” said Mr. Petersen. He knew nothing about Frankie’s connection with the dead man, or he wouldn’t have been so unconcerned. As it was, he was distressed at the change that came over her face. It was quite distorted for a minute, with grief, with anguish, with a terrible resentment.