“Something? There’s everything, and everything that’s wrong-headed and abominable. That’s where this hurts me, mother. They’ll be saying wrong things of her, of Effie.” He began to see that gossip mattered.
“What would be the right things to say?” asked Anne dryly. “Who’s Effie? And do you mean her when you say you’ve been unfaithful for ten years?”
“I meant what I said. That I’ve put other things in front of Ada.”
“Including Effie?”
“Effie’s a ray from heaven,” he said.
“Oh, aye,” said Anne sceptically.
“Look here, mother, you’re not going to misunderstand?”
“Not if you can make me understand.”
“I can try,” he said, “and the chances are that I shall fail. The only thing that will make you understand Effie is to see her.”
“Try the-other ways first,” said Anne grimly.