Francis began to feel exasperated.
“My good woman,” he said, “will you kindly explain what my son has to do with all this, and why he has brought me here?”
Mrs. Lipsett had moved to the table and taken up an armful of linen.
“Didn’t he tell you?”
“No.”
Mrs. Lipsett dropped her linen, ran to the door and screamed “Annie!”
A voice answered her.
“Come here!”
Mrs. Lipsett turned to Francis, folded her arms and with her lips tight pressed she worried out her words:
“Not told you, hasn’t he? Leaving me to make a nice fool of myself! I’ve heard of you, Mr. Folyat! That innocent you are that you don’t know you’re born yet. . . .”