That was her fear. And a more skilful, a gentler revelation, might have
left her a few years with the other little twin of the mill-model, still
perhaps with a decade of life to come.

She heard the undertones of the daughter's voice, using the name of
mother. What was she saying?

"My mother--my mother--my mother!" And then, with a strange acceptance
of the name in another sense:--"But when will mother know?"

Gwen entered noiselessly, and stood by the bedside. She began to speak,
but shrank from her last word:--"She is not...?"

Widow Thrale looked up from the inanimate form she was clasping so
closely in her arms, to say, quite firmly:--"No, she is not dead." Then
back again, repeating the words:--"My mother!" as though they were to be
the first the unconscious ears should hear on their revival. Then once
more to Gwen, as in discharge of a duty omitted:--"God bless you, my
lady, for your goodness to us!"

Gwen's irresistible vice of anticlimax nearly made her say:--"Oh
bother!" It was stopped by a sound she thought she heard. "Is she not
speaking?" she said.

Both listened, and Widow Thrale heard, being the nearer, "Who called you
her mother?" she repeated. "_I_ did." And then Gwen said, clearly and
fearlessly:--"Your daughter Ruth!"

CHAPTER XVI

SIR CROPTON FULLER'S LUNCH. LAZARUS'S FAMILY. HOW HIS GREAT-GRANNY
CATECHIZED A TOOTHLESS HUMAN PUPPY THIRTEEN MONTHS OLD. HOW DR.
NASH DRAGGED MRS. PRICHARD IN. A VERY TAKING OLD PERSON, BUT QUITE
CRACKED. GOD'S MERCY IN LEAVING US OUR NATURAL FACULTIES. THAT WAS
A SEVERE CASE AMONG THE TOMBS. HOW DR. NASH HAD ALL THE MODEL STORY
OUT AGAIN, AND ABOUT MUGGERIDGE'S DON GIOVANITIES. MRS. PRICHARD
HAD KNOWN MAISIE, CLEARLY. EVERYTHING EXPLAINED. THE FUTILITY OF
HYPOTHESES. HOW A MEMORY OF HER MADMAN-CONVICT MADE OLD PHOEBE
FEEL BEWITCHED. OBSTINATE PATERNITY. THE MEASUREMENT OF THAT MODEL.
WHY ARM-MEASUREMENT? KID'S JARGON. MR. BARLOW. DAVE'S LETTER
DELIVERED. A SORT OF FAINT. VINEGAR. DR. NASH PURSUED AND BROUGHT
BACK. HOW OLD PHOEBE CAME TO KNOW THE TRUTH THROUGH A CHILD'S
DIRECT SPEECH. HER PRESENCE OF MIND. AND HOW SHE WENT STRAIGHT
HOME, TO LOOK BACK ON FIFTY LOST YEARS

The madman who had claimed as his mother the old woman at Strides
Cottage, whom Granny Marrable had not yet seen, had certainly no
statutory powers to impose an oath. But this did not stand in the way of
her keeping