orking view, anyhow, and was
no doubt held by many people.

"We can base our lives on truth," she continued, as he said nothing. "On
being true to ourselves. That is the great truth. But we can't always
tell it to all the casual people about us, or even to those who are
closely in our lives, as for instance Jimmy is in mine. They wouldn't
understand. But some day Jimmy will be able to understand."

"Do you mean----"

"I mean just this: if Jimmy were twenty-one I would tell him
everything."

He looked down into her eyes, which never fell before the eyes of
another.

"I believe you would," he said.

She continued looking at him, as if tranquilly waiting for something.

"I'll--I'll go back to Buyukderer," he said.

CHAPTER VII

In his contrition for the attack which he had made upon the honor of his
wife at his mother's instigation, Beadon Clarke had given up all
claims on his boy's time. Actually, though not legally, Mrs. Clarke had
complete control over Jimmy. He spent all his holidays with her, and
seldom saw his father, who was still attached to the British Embassy in
Madrid. He had never been allowed to read any reports of the famous case
which had been fought out between his parents, and was understood to
think that his father and mother had, for some mysterious reason, found
it impossible to "hit it off together," and had therefore decided
to live apart. He was now rather vaguely fond of his father, whom he
considered to be "quite a good sort," but he was devoted to his mother.
Mrs. Clarke's peculiar self-possession and remarkably strong will made a
great impression on Jimmy. "It's jolly difficult to score my mater off,
I can tell you," he occasionally remarked to his more intimate chums at
school. He admired her appearance, her elegance, and the charm of her
way of living, which he called "doing herself jolly well"; even her
unsmiling face and characteristic lack of what is generally called
vivacity won his approval. "My mater's above all that silly gushing and
giggling so many women go in for, don't you know," was his verdict on
Mrs. Clarke's usually serious demeanor. Into her gravity boyishly he
read dignity of character, and in his estimation of her he set her very
high. Although something of a pickle, and by nature rather reckless
and inclined to be wild, he was swiftly obedient to his mother, partly
perhaps because, understanding young males as well as she understood
male beings of all ages, sh