The truth was, that in her deep interest in the Costellos, she had quietly forced herself to think and speak of the whole train of events which affected them, without dwelling on its connection with her own story.

She never spoke of her husband--her self-command was not yet strong enough for that--nor of Clarkson; but of Christian, as the victim of a false accusation, she talked to Maurice without hesitation.
Up to that time there had been no very vivid idea in his mind either of Christian himself, or of the way in which he had spent the months of his imprisonment, and finally died.

Indeed, in the constant change and current of nearer interests, he had thought little, after the first, about this unknown father of his beloved.

He had considered the matter until it led him just so far as to make up his mind, quite easily and without evidence, that Clarkson was probably the murderer, and that Christian, whether innocent or guilty, was not to be allowed to separate him from Lucia, and then, after that point, he ceased to think of Christian at all.

But now, he received from Bella the little details, such as no letters could have told him, of the weeks since her husband's death--chiefly of the later ones, and there were many reasons why these details had a charm for him which made him want to hear more, the more he heard.