“W-what do you know about her?”
Isaac Worthington was bitterly angry—the more so because he was helpless, and could not question Jethro's right to ask. What did he know about her? Nothing, except that she had intrigued to marry his son. Bob's letter had described her, to be sure, but he could not be expected to believe that: and he had not heard Miss Lucretia Penniman's speech. And yet he could not tell Jethro that he knew nothing about her, for he was shrewd enough to perceive the drift of the next question.
“Kn-know anything against her?” said Jethro.
Mr. Worthington leaned back in his chair.
“I can't see what Miss Wetherell has to do with the present occasion,” he replied.
“H-had her dismissed by the prudential committee had her dismissed—didn't you?”
“They chose to act as they saw fit.”
“T-told Levi Dodd to dismiss her—didn't you?”
That was a matter of common knowledge in Brampton, having leaked out through Jonathan Hill.
“I must decline to discuss this,” said Mr. Worthington.