"How has he deceived anybody?"
"By saying he was married to this boy's mother—and she died."
"Well, ain't it true?"
"No."
"How do you know it ain't?"
"Because if it was true he wouldn't be so secretive about it. There's nothing to be ashamed of in marrying an honest woman and having a child."
"No," said Mr. Snell. "Nuthin' specially surprisin' about that. Good folks have done it."
"Then why be hiding something? All his old friends are naturally interested in his wife and he'd naturally tell us—unless there was something he was ashamed of."
"Ashamed of? Well, Rebecca, you certainly can talk like a fool when you put your mind on it."
Mrs. Snell flushed. "Really! Indeed! So you think it's perfectly natural for a man to hide from his old friends all knowledge of his marriage—as he would a murder?"