Mable's smile fell as Nettie spoke.  So her father wasn't very nice either, then.  But then, imagining Father Brennan wanting to live pretending Nettie didn't exist at all made him seem not very nice either, but that couldn't be accurate.  But Nettie wouldn't lie, would she?

"I think all fathers are very terrible, sometimes, whether they realize it or not.  And whether they're really fathers or not."  She reached out and took Nettie's hand in her own, this time to comfort her rather than pull her along.  "Really, I think it's a problem men have.  I'm very glad to be a girl, if that's truly the case.  Also, I get to wear pretty dresses!"