e passed stumblingly into
her own room at the end of the corridor, and there, in solitude and
darkness, she fought out the battle between her desire still to preserve
the secret she had guarded three-and-twenty years, and the impulse
toward atonement which was struggling into life within her.

Like a scourge the knowledge of her debt to Garth drove her before it,
beating her into the very depths of self-abasement, but, even so, her
pride of name, and the mother-love which yearned to shield her son from
all that it must involve if she should now confess the sin of her youth,
urged her to let the present still keep the secrets of the past.

The habit of years, the very purpose for which she had worked, and lied,
and fought, must be renounced if she were to make atonement. A tale that
was unbelievably shameful must be revealed--and Tim would have to know
all that there was to be known.

To Elisabeth, this was the most bitter thing she had to face--the fact
that Tim, for whose sake she had so strenuously guarded her secret, must
learn, not only what was written on that turned-down page of life,
but also what kind of woman his mother had proved herself--how totally
unlike the beautiful conception which his ardent boyish faith in her had
formed.

Would he understand? Would he ever understand--and forgive?

CHAPTER XXXVIII

VINDICATION

Meanwhile, the Herricks and their guests--"Audrey's refugees," as Molly
elected to describe the latter, herself included--had gathered round the
fire in the library, and were chatting desultorily while they awaited
Elisabeth's return from her visit to Tim's sick-room.

The casualties of the previous evening had been found to be augmented by
two, since Mrs. Selwyn had remained in bed throughout the day, under
the impression that she was suffering from shock, whilst Garth Trent was
discovered to have dislocated his shoulder, and had been compelled to
keep his room by medical orders.

In endeavouring to shield Tim, as they crashed to the ground together
from the tottering staircase, Trent had fallen undermost, receiving the
full brunt of the fall; and a dislocated shoulder and a severe shaking,
which had left him bruised and sore from head to foot, were the
consequences.

Characteristically, he had maintained complete silence about his injury,
composedly accompanying Sara back to Greenacres in his car, and he had
just been making his way out of the house when he had quietly fainted