“I have no idea. Surely, Hennessey—”

“Answered, dearest grannie!” cried the Prophet, with gathering agitation. “Did you ever wear a short coat?”

“I—I’m not a man!”

“You didn’t! Always a skirt?”

“Of course! Why—”

“And you’re sixty-eight on the twentieth. So for sixty-eight years you’ve always worn a skirt. That’s four.”

“Four what? Are you—?”

“When did you put your hair up, grannie, darling?”

“My hair—never. You know I’ve always had a maid to do these things for me. Fancy—”

“Of course. You’ve never put your hair up. I might have known. You were married very young, weren’t you?”