ng him to meet her on the lonely moors, and after
that she had gone away again in silence. So they were strangers to
each other, even although the ties that bound them were so strong that
only death could break them. The woman was almost startled when,
stepping from the train, she saw the tall, well-dressed fellow rushing
towards her. But her heart had claimed her son, and for the moment
that was enough. Now, however, that they were alone in the cab,
everything seemed in darkness again. She could not recall a feature of
her boy's face. He might be an absolute stranger to her. Ere long the
cab drew up to the door of a house, and when once ushered into bright
and cheerful surroundings everything became changed. For the moment
she did not pay any attention to the room, she looked only at him. She
put her hands upon his shoulders and scanned his face, feature by
feature. Her own face was a study as she did this. She seemed to be
looking for something in him. She might be trying to read his heart.
Her own eyes almost grew young again as she looked, and her lips were
tremulous with a great emotion.

"My mother's a beautiful woman," said Paul to himself. "She looks
terribly sad under the great sorrow in her life, but when she's happy,
as I will make her happy, I shall be proud of her."

But for a time neither of them spoke. Each seemed to be trying to
realise the situation, trying to understand that they were mother and
son. At length the woman spoke.

"Thank God," she said. "You are nothing like him! You are my
child--black hair, black eyes, dark-skinned, strong, resolute. No, you
are nothing like him. You are my laddie, all mine! Kiss me again, my
boy!"

Paul, nothing loth, enfolded her in his arms as a lover might his lass.
"I have tried to make things nice for you, mother. How do you like the
house?" he said at length.

She looked round the room and her eyes were full of wonder. "Why,
Paul," she said, "this is a gentleman's house!"

"Of course," he said. "Come, let me show you the other rooms. And
then the maid shall take you up to your own room. I am sure you must
want something to eat badly."

He led her around the house, his heart full of pride. It was easy to
see she was pleased, easy to see that she wondered at all the luxuries
he had provided for her.

"Are you sure you ought to have done this, Paul?" she said at length.

"Why, mother?"

"Why, these things must have cost you suc