The following morning he related to Mary what had happened on the previous night; told her in detail all that the man Fearn had said to him.
"You see, Mary," he said, "your suspicions were utterly wrong. The man's story has made it practically impossible for what you have thought to be true. Whoever committed the deed, it was not she—thank God for that!"
In spite of herself Mary was at length convinced. For hours she sat thinking over what her father had told her, considering the consequences of every point, and trying to see what they meant. Yes, he was right; and yet she felt sure that Paul believed in his mother's guilt, and that the reason of his silence was that he was trying to shield her. Then the old question came back to her. Paul did not commit this deed; who did it?
Presently Mary Bolitho gave a start as though some new thought had come into her mind. Her eyes flashed with a bright light. She seemed to see something which in the past had been hidden from her.
A few minutes later she was in the street, walking rapidly to Paul's factory. Arrived there, she asked for George Preston.
"He's in Manchester," was the reply. "He's there for the trial."
"But someone must be left in charge?" she urged.
"Ay, Enoch Standring is looking after things while they're away."
"I want to see him," said Mary. "Where is he?"
Without a word the youth to whom she had spoken led the way to Paul's office, where Enoch Standring was busily writing.