“That is all, dear,” said the girl.
She made a great effort to articulate, and her eyes had a frightened look in them. “You—will not—go?”
“Oh, no, no,” returned Lilian, with a kiss.
“Tired—tired,” she gasped.
They laid her down and gave her a spoonful of stimulant but she only swallowed a little of it.
The others left the room. Dr. Kendricks shook his head slowly. Mr. Ledwith gave the last page of the confession to Major Crawford. Lilian sat on the side of the bed, chafing the cool hands that had grown more helpless since yesterday, and presently Mrs. Boyd slept, but one could hardly note the breathing.
Mrs. Barrington looked in and beckoned to Lilian.
“Your own mother is here,” she said softly. “And I feel like putting in another claim, but I cannot displace the rightful one. You will find her in the library.”
Lilian went slowly down. The beautiful woman she had seen in church, the woman who had lain like dead when Mrs. Boyd glanced upon her, the mother who had missed her all these years! The tall figure rose with the softness of a cloud longing to embrace the moon, with arms outstretched, and the child went to them in the caress of divine satisfaction. For this was the mother of her dreams and ideals, and their souls were as one.
They kissed away each other’s tears.