He came to my side and took my hand.
"Do you know who this is ?" he said to his mother.
She answered, looking at me with a courteous bend of her head: "A lady I met on the beach, Eustace, who kindly restored to me a letter that I dropped.

I think I heard the name" (she turned to the landlady): "Mrs.Woodville, was it not ?" My husband's fingers unconsciously closed on my hand with a grasp that hurt me.

He set his mother right, it is only just to say, without one cowardly moment of hesitation.
"Mother," he said to her, very quietly, "this lady is my wife." She had hitherto kept her seat.

She now rose slowly and faced her son in silence.

The first expression of surprise passed from her face.