"I am not sure, but I think—I think there was once a place like the Den at her own home in England, where she used to meet the man long ago, and sometimes she forgets that it is not long ago now."
"I wonder wha the man was?"
"I think he was my father."
"I thought you didna ken what a father was?"
"I know now. I think my father was a Scotsman."
"What makes you think that?"
"I heard a Thrums woman say it would account for my being called Grizel, and I think we came to Scotland to look for him, but it is so long, long ago."
"How long?"
"I don't know. We have lived here four years, but we were looking for him before that. It was not in this part of Scotland we looked for him. We gave up looking for him before we came here."
"What made the Painted Lady take a house here, then?"