Stone Girl froze. Her smile had vanished.

“I am Indian,” she said. “Indian language come easy for me.”

“But when thou first camest didst not thou tell my son thou’rt white and had been taken by the Indians when very young? Didst even claim to be Mary, my son’s daughter?”

The brown girl stood very rigid.

“I say what Never Laugh tell me. Captain Stanton say is a big lie. White woman Karricher say is a big lie. Girl Mary say is big lie. Captain Stanton say I am Indian. White woman Karricher say I am Indian. Girl Mary say I am Indian. All but Never Laugh say I am Indian.”

Captain Stanton heard her with satisfaction.

“You see, Mother, it’s as I told you? She doesn’t even believe this invention herself.”

“She didn’t say that,” his mother declared, and turned to the girl. “Didst mean, Claire, thou wast raised Indian but art really white?”

“I am Indian,” she maintained.

“Claire, tell me about the painting on the wall of the inn,” the grandmother persisted. “Didst not say thou hadst seen the woman in the painting before? Didst not recognize the woman as thy mother?”

At the mention of the painting, Stone Girl kept her face with difficulty.

“Is true I see painting on the wall when I come. She is beautiful white lady with yellow hair. Never Laugh say my mother is beautiful white lady with yellow hair. But my father, Feast Maker, say my mother is Clanpeechan, Still Water. She have black hair and is Indian. My grandfather, Machilek, say my mother is Indian. Captain Stanton say my mother is Indian. All say my mother is Indian.”

The old lady looked baffled.

“But I understand that thou thyself claimst to remember other things including my brick house?”

“What is brick house?” the girl asked stolidly. “I see stone house in dream. Stone is red. Everything in dream is red. Sky is red. Cloud is red. All is red. What is brick house? I do not know brick house.”

Captain Stanton took his mother’s arm.

“I think we’ve had enough of this, Mother. I hope you’re satisfied. I told you how it would be but you wouldn’t believe me.”

His mother refused to give up so easily.

“Peter, wouldst leave me alone with Claire for a while? I appreciate thy bringing me up. Now I think I can find my way down or Claire can show me.”

Captain Stanton looked displeased.

“I don’t like you to be up here alone,” he told her.

“Nonsense,” she said. “I’m safe here with Claire and her child as with thee.”

You could see that he didn’t believe that.

“You must be reasonable, Mother. After I told you about Claire, you kept after me until I agreed to let you speak to her. You knew I didn’t like to have the subject opened again. Especially not before Mary’s wedding. It’s as if I distrust my own daughter and you your own granddaughter. But I finally agreed to let you talk to her. Now you have her answer. I feel the matter has gone far enough.”