"I have a mother," he replies, perhaps a little more harshly than he ought to, because he objects to her words when he was only answering the question she asked, though at the same time he was somewhat relieved - though he had no idea if his father's reputation was good or bad, he knew his mother was well thought of.

"Hunith is my mother's name. I told you, I live in the village, I didn't mean to stray so far..." he tried to reign in his annoyance, to stay sounding polite, but a little of it slipped into his town.