They would pay it back when the days of plenty came.

She would not ask even this were it not that she was not only ill, but the one great wonderful thing in the world was to be vouchsafed her--motherhood.

In the name of her unborn baby she begged him to send an immediate response.
She asked a neighbour to post the letter so that O'Connell would not know of her sacrifice.

She waited anxiously for a reply.
Some considerable time afterwards--on the eve of her travail and when things with O'Connell were at their worst--the answer came by cable.
She was alone when it came.
Her heart beat furiously as she opened it.

Even if he only sent a little it would be so welcome now when they were almost at the end.