She herself was conscious of it; but, except for the sake of the boy, she had not troubled over it.

She had not altogether given up hope, but the hope grew fainter and fainter, as the years went on.

Had it not been for the promise to her husband, not to mention his real name or to make any application to his father unless absolutely assured of his death, she would, for Gregory's sake, have written to Mr.Hartley, and asked for help that would have enabled her to take the boy home to England, and have him properly educated there.

But she had an implicit faith in the binding of a promise so made, and as long as she was not driven, by absolute want, to apply to Mr.Hartley, was determined to keep to it.
A year after this conversation, Gregory was sixteen.

Now tall and strong, he had, for some time past, been anxious to obtain some employment that would enable his mother to give up her teaching.