THE STEADFAST HEART
ing multitude whose hand was forever raised against them. He was afraid of every living soul except his mother, and what his feelings were toward her it would have been impossible to discover. Perhaps he had no feelings toward her. She existed, he existed—that was all….
Angus knew what was to follow now, recognized the question as a preamble, a part of his mother’s artistry…. He could not speak, but with wide eyes fixed upon her face, he shook his head in the negative.
“This is a lonely spot,” said Mrs. Burke in a whisper, “and your father had money—a great deal of money…. You saw it. He might have shown it to others.” As she fanned her terror to cold flame, it was to be noted that slovenliness of speech was discarded, elisions and colloquialisms were omitted, and she made use of the diction of education. “If robbers knew about that money!…” She sucked in her breath ecstatically, but drew closer to the light of the lantern and her pallid hand fluttered to her throat…. She was acting, yet she was not acting…. Silently she imagined for moments, then, suddenly, she clutched her son’s arm and whispered, “Hush—did you hear something then?”
She listened fearsomely; Angus listened, and his teeth rattled together. He was not imagin-
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