“Yes——”

“You was a hell of a long time comin’.”

“I know——”

“That dirty animal hurt me——” Evidently this referred to the doctor.

“I’m sorry. He didn’t mean to——”

“Know all about it, don’t yer? Know all about everythin’, don’t yer?”

Pidge didn’t answer.

Fanny lay a moment in pallid anger. Then her eyes slowly opened wider, stretched, filled with astonishment, part rapture, part fear.

“Why, Musser,” Fanny said in an awed tone, as one listening to a far sound, “Holy Christ, I’m dying!”

She was the last one in the room to know it—except the baby.