Helen looked at the relaxed form close to her. She yearned to confide fully in him, tell him how she had guarded his interests while he fared afar from her. She thought of Mary-Clare and the love and understanding that now lay between her and the girl whose high honour could, indeed, be trusted.
But she realized that this son of hers was not the kind of man whose need could be supplied by replacing a loss with a possible gain. He had been dealt a cruel blow and must react from it sanely. The time was not yet come for the telling of the King's Forest story.
Northrup needed comfort, Heaven knew, but it must come from within, not without.
At that instant Helen Northrup gripped the arms of her chair and sent a quick prayer to the God of mothers of grown sons.
"The storm seems to be passing," she said quietly.
"Yes, and the air is cooler." Northrup stood up and his face was no longer hopeless. "Are you going to stay in town all summer?" he asked.
"I was waiting for you, dear. As soon as you get settled I must take a short trip. Business, you know. I do enjoy the short trips, the comings home; the feeling of moving along; not being relegated to an armchair."
"Oh! it was easy enough, once I threw off my own identity. Identities are so cramping, Brace; full of suggestions and fears. I took my mother's maiden name--Helen Dana. After that, I just flew ahead."
"Well, I won't hold you back. You're too good for that, Mother. I've kept the old tower room. I'm going to try to finish my book, now. Somehow I got to thinking it dead; but lately I've sort of heard it crying out for me. I hope the same little elevator devil is on the job yet. Funny, freckled scamp. He kissed me when I went away--I thought he was going to cry. Queer how a fellow remembered things like that over there. The little snapshots were fixed pictures--and some rather big-sized things shrank."
They bade each other good-night. Mother and son, they looked marvellously alike at that moment. Then:
"I declare, I almost forgot Manly. How has this all struck him, Mother?"
"Gave up everything! His hard-won position, his late comfort and ease. He will have to begin again--he is where he says he belongs--mending and patching."
"He'll reach the top, Mother. Manly's bound for the top of things."