An instant later he was inside the room.

There was only a dim light, but his mother was sitting up in her bed, a gaunt and yet beautiful, sad-eyed figure of a woman.

For a moment Carnac paused.

As he stood motionless, the face of the woman became more drawn and haggard, the eyes more deeply mournful.
Her lips opened as though she would speak, but no sound came, and Carnac could hardly bear to look at her.

Yet he did look, and all at once there rushed into his heart the love he had ever felt for her.