“Why, what is it, lad?” she exclaimed.
“Esther, I don’t know what to do. . . . Ye see, when I was telling you an’ mother about Uncle Whinn, I kept back something—a lot. I couldn’t think how to tell the whole tale—to mother, anyway.”
“Is it—dreadful, David?”
“Ay, dreadful—in a way. Well, I’ll try and tell yourself now, an’ then, perhaps— ’Sh! I bear her comin’! ’Twill have to wait.”
Mrs. Cathles came in, but without the expected laden tray. She crossed to her accustomed place and seated herself. Presently she looked over at her son.
“David, I was thinkin’ just now, and it came on me that ye hadn’t told me everything about your uncle, my own brother, Alick. Now, dearie, ye must not keep aught back. ’Tis my right to know, and I can bear a lot nowadays.” She wetted her lips. “David, tell me true, what happened to my brother when they got him on board the U-boat. Did they—shoot him?”
“No, Mother”—David cleared his throat—“‘’twas far finer’n that! . . . Ah, well, now I’ll tell everything. ’Twas this way. You—we’ll never see Uncle Whinn again, Mother, but he was a great man. He stepped on board that U-boat as brave as a lion, and when the ’Un commander spoke to him, polite enough, too—he looked at him as if he was dirt. And then he give me the messages I ha’ told ye. And then they took him below. And then the U-boat started for to dive— Now don’t ye be too upset, Mother.”
“Go on, David.”
“Well, then, the U-boat, as I was tellin’ ye, started for to dive. . . . But she wasn’t half under when—when she blowed up—all to smash—exploded into little bits, it seemed—our boat was near to bein’ swamped.” David ceased abruptly.
In the silence the girl rose and went to the woman, and put her arm about the bent shoulders.