Phoebe Smith's car was parked around the corner in that secluded alley next to the Richardson family's place, a spot that offered a full view of the courtyard entrance.
She personally witnessed her mother, Susanna Smith, entering the Richardson's courtyard, then she patiently waited in the car. She saw Frederick Richardson's car return home, followed by Old Master Richardson leaving in another car, and then...
About half an hour after Old Master Richardson's car drove away, Susanna emerged from the courtyard entrance, but she looked particularly wretched, somber, as if she had suffered a great defeat.
Phoebe's heart skipped a beat—she didn't even need to ask to know that her mother must have been humiliated by the Richardsons, that is, she must have lost face in front of Frederick Richardson.
She guessed that Frederick didn't accept her as his daughter. It had to be the case; perhaps her mother was even humiliated by him.
