[ ........... He knows. He knows about this well. But what he says, instead of confirming her as being RIGHT, is this, and it is said with an airy, lilting, overly-cheerful voice. ]

If someone thinks that of you, then you should just eat all their mail! I am sure they will regret ever having thought such things!

[ Break. Break, stop. But in his own way, he's being considerate. He could grill her, patronize her, but he's not going to. Not now. She's been through enough. He'll bug her about it later. ]