eyes aglow. She was radiant. She did not
think of what this might mean to Mary, did not realise that the
vindication of her own honour might mean Mary's shame. That never
entered into her mind. All her thought was of Paul; and even her joy
that all disgrace was taken away from her was because thereby Paul's
name would be honoured. She looked years younger. It seemed as though
a great weight had rolled from her mind, as though the dark skies had
been made clear and the sun were shining.

"Are you not glad, my lassie? Does it not rejoice your heart? Think
of it! Think of it!"

But Mary was silent. Naturally, the happenings of the day had
bewildered her, almost unhinged her own mind. She thought, too, of
what her father had suffered. No one knew better than she what a proud
man he was and what it must have cost him to have made this confession.
But more than all this she realised Paul's danger. Although she was
greatly moved by the revelations which had been made, although her
being had been aroused to its very depths and her life become
revolutionised, the thought which was above every other thought was
Paul's safety. She knew what her father's confession would mean. If
he could no longer be the judge, then another would be appointed; and
as she read her father's words she seemed to feel that he believed his
son to be guilty of the deed of which he was accused. And if her
father believed this, would not the judge who would try the case anew
believe it also? And if the judge believed it, would not the jury
believe it, and condemn him?

"What is the matter, my lassie? You don't look glad. You are pale.
What do you fear?"

Even then Paul's mother did not think of what it might mean to Mary.
Nothing mattered but her own son.

"But what of Paul?" Mary said. "We must save him!"

"Paul, Paul? What do you mean?"

"I am afraid," said Mary. "Do you not see what my father said? 'If
Paul Stepaside is guilty of the murder of Edward Wilson----' Oh, don't
you see--don't you see?"

"But they cannot harm my Paul--they cannot, they cannot!"

"But we must save him!" cried Mary. "Do you know of anything? You do,
don't you? Paul never committed this murder. He couldn't do it. But
unless the real murderer is found he will have to die. Don't you
understand?"

"Paul die? Paul die?"

"Yes; they will condemn him unless the real murderer appears. Everyone
says so. And you know who did it, don't you?"