"One of the Hallets brought my basket over then, an' touched his hat as if I'd been a lady. That was the last time my boy had his arms about me: next week he went away. That night I heerd him in his room in the loft, here an' there, here an' there, as if he couldn't sleep, an' so for many nights, comin' down in the mornin' with his eye red an' swollen, but full of the laugh an' joke as always. The Hallets were with him constant, those days, Judge Hallet, their father, were goin' across seas, Derrick said. So one night, I'd got his tea ready, an' were waitin' for him by the fire, knittin',--when he come in an' stood by the mantel-shelf, lookin' down at me, steady. He had on his Sunday suit of blue, Jim Devines giv him. "'Where be yer other clothes, my son?' I said. "'They're not clean,' says he. 'I've been haulin' marl for Springer this week. He paid me to-night; the money's in the kitchen-cupboard.' "I looked up at that, for it was work I'd never put him to. "'It'll buy thee new shoes,' said I. "'I did it for you, mother,' he says, suddint, puttin' his hand over his eyes. 'I wish things were different with you.' "'Yes, Derrick.' "I went on with my knittin'; for I never talked much to him, for the shame of my bad words, since he'd learned better. But I wondered what he meant; for wages was high that winter, an' I was doin' well. "'If ever,' he says, speakin' low an' faster, 'if ever I do anything that gives you pain, you'll know it was for love of you I did it. Not for myself, God knows! To make things different for you.' "'Yes, Derrick,' I says, knittin' on, for I didn't understan' thin. Afterwards I did. The room was dark, an' it were dead quiet for a bit; then the lad moved to the door. "'Where be thee goin', Derrick?' I said. "He come back an' leaned on my chair. "'Let me tell you when I come back,' he said. 'You'll wait for me?' stoopin' down an' kissin' me. "I noticed that, for he did not like to kiss,--Derrick. An' his lips were hot an' dry. "'Yes, I'll wait, my son,' I said. 'Thee'll not be gone long?' "He did not answer that, but kissed me again, an' went out quickly. "I sat an' waited long that night, an' searched till mornin'. There's been a many nights an' days since, but I've never found him. The Hallets all went that night, an' I heerd Derrick went as waiter-boy, so's to get across seas. It's twenty years now. But I think he'll come,"--looking up with a laugh. Miss Defourchet started; where had she known this woman? The sudden flicker of a smile, followed by a quick contraction of the eyelids and mouth, was peculiar and curiously sensitive and sad; somewhere, in a picture maybe, she had seen the same.