"God?" she said, looking up into his face wonderingly, and there was almost a sob in her voice. "Do you believe in Him at last?"
"May God bless you, my—no, I can't say it. Good-night!"
When Paul went to his room that night, the first night he had slept there since the dread things which had so altered the whole of his life came to him, he sat for a long time thinking. Again he reviewed the past, tried to see its deeper meaning. Then he knelt down by his bedside. He uttered no words, formulated no prayer, but he knew he was very near to the heart of things.
Days passed, and still there was no news of Judge Bolitho. Paul's mother, as steadily she grew stronger, seemed ever to be listening and watching, but she asked no questions and spoke no word about the man of whom both Paul and Mary were sure she was thinking. Both of them rejoiced as they saw her health coming back to her, saw a new light in her eyes, a tenderer expression on her lips. All the same, each of them wondered what the future would bring forth. Neither Mary nor Paul referred again to the shadow which hung upon the former's name. Not one question did Paul ask about her mother, or about the days before they first met each other. He was afraid it would give her pain, and he would rather suffer anything than do that.
On the fourth day after his return, Paul's mother was well enough to come downstairs again. She had clothed herself in the last new dress Paul had bought her, and she blushed like a girl when he told her how young and handsome she looked.
"Nay, Paul, I'm an old woman," she protested. All the same, it was easy to see that she was pleased.
"You're just young and handsome, mother," he repeated. "There's many a lass in Brunford who'd give anything to have your good looks."
"And they say you're the very image of me, Paul! Think now, when you're praising my good looks you're just praising your own!"
In spite of their pleasantries, however, it was easy to see that she was wondering about and longing for something of which she spoke no word.
"Mother, it's eight o'clock. It's time for you to go to bed. You must not take liberties with yourself."