"No, she knows without my telling."
"Have you spoken to Helen?"
The colour swept up over Bauer's face.
"No, and I never will."
"Does she know?" Walter persisted.
"I looked at her once," faltered Bauer, and for the soul of him Walter could not help roaring out at him.
As they rose to make their way to the wagons which had halted in a group to wait for them and others who had fallen behind, Walter smote Bauer on the back.
"Courage, old man. The case is not all hopeless. If you have got as far as a look, that's progress. What did Helen do?"
But Bauer drew into his reserve at this point and gravely refused to talk any more, and Walter did not venture to insist. Only, as they were going to their wagons Bauer simply said, "I shall tell your mother. It would not be right not to let her know."
"I don't know what mother can do about it," Walter replied dubiously.