Turning from Leigh, she came face to face with her husband. For a moment she seemed to hold her breath. In the crowd no one saw them but Daniel, who had just come back to sit by his mother and Emily. Fanchon stood still, and her hand went to her side with an involuntary gesture of pain. For an instant she looked at William, but he never raised his eyes. He stood motionless, looking down. There was no sign that he was even aware of her, except a perceptible hardening of the mouth. She turned away blindly, dropping her veil over her face, and started toward the door.
Daniel pressed his mother’s arm.
“Mother, you ought to thank Fanchon. She saved Leigh. It’s been terrible for her.”
“Me? Oh, I can’t!” Mrs. Carter’s lip trembled worse than ever. “It—it wouldn’t do any good.”
“Mother! Don’t you understand? She saved Leigh.”
Mrs. Carter started to her feet.
“Oh, Dan, I’ll—I’ll try!” she stammered.
Daniel seized her arm and led her toward her daughter-in-law. They had to push through the crowd to a side door behind the witness-stand, for Fanchon had already reached it. Her veil was down, and, as Daniel spoke her name, she stood motionless, waiting. There was a difficult moment, and then Mrs. Carter’s tremulous, frightened voice:
“Dan says you saved my boy——”
She stopped. Fanchon had lifted her veil with a tragic gesture and looked at Mrs. Carter, passionate scorn in her beautiful eyes. For a moment she said nothing. Her whole form seemed to quiver from head to foot; then her pale lips moved at first without words.