"I want to know, Martha."
"Yes, I did. I asked him."
"You know I didn't want you to do that."
"You told me not to appear in public with him, mother. I didn't appear in public. I minded you. I don't see anything to be ashamed of. I don't see why we should keep it secret. He wanted to see me, and I wanted to talk to him. I knew you wouldn't understand it. You just insist on misjudging him. You won't try to get acquainted with him. I knew dad would make a fool of himself if he saw him here."
"What did he need to see you about?"
"Well, I—I don't know why—I don't know what right—— If I'd been ashamed of myself, I could have sent him home before you came, and you'd never even have known he'd been here."
Emily went over and sat down by Martha. She put her arm around her. She tried to pull her close against her, but Martha was for sitting erect, stiffly. Her attitude made Emily's coaxing tone futile.
"Martha, he didn't have any business here. He knew he wasn't welcome here. Unless he's absolutely stupid, he understood that before daddy said a word to him. If he was a decent man he would never have come or he would have gone earlier."
Martha bristled. "He did have business here. He had to see me."
"Why?"