y" to the
crime than that one shadow of suspicion should fall upon her. Besides,
he did not believe she was altogether responsible for what she had
done. Even on the night of the murder, he had noticed the madness in
her eyes. He remembered the look which had haunted him almost ever
since. In her love for him, a love which was unreasoning, and which
rendered her anger almost uncontrollable, she had done what under
ordinary circumstances would never have been possible.

"Poor mother!" he reflected. "All her life she has blamed herself for
having brought, as she thought, disgrace upon me. Her only object in
life has been that I might find happiness, and that justice should be
done to me. No thought of self ever came into any deed she has done
since I have been born. She was silent for me; she suffered for me;
she thought for me; she slaved for me; and now she has become---- But
it was all for me. No, she shall suffer nothing that I can defend her
from. But, oh, her burden must be a ghastly one! And I must try hard,
too; yes, I must make her think bright thoughts."

"It's all right, mother," he said. "You needn't fear!"

"It'll all come out right," she said, and there was a kind of hysteria
in her voice.

"It must," was his reply. "I have thought it all out, mother. I have
gone over the ground, step by step, and you needn't fear."

"That's why you're going to defend yourself, isn't it?" and she almost
laughed. "You're going to surprise them at the trial? You won't tell
what your thoughts are to anyone, for fear they shall make a bungle of
it? Half these barristers, I'm told, are very muddle-headed, and make
all sorts of foolish admissions; and you're going to defend yourself in
your own way, aren't you?"

"Yes, mother," he replied, "in my own way."

"I expect they'll bring me as a witness."

"Well, what if they do, mother? You must know nothing, absolutely
nothing. Do you see? You went to bed that night in the ordinary way,
don't you remember? I came home from London, and we had a long talk
together, and then you asked me to go to bed, and I told you I had a
great many things to think about, many plans to arrange; and, of
course, you went to bed. You saw nothing, suspected nothing. That's
your line, mother. Don't hazard any opinion when they ask you
questions. Say 'Yes,' or 'No.' Do you see?"

"Is that what you want?" she said.

"That's what you must do."

She looked at him steadily