a. Paul and his mother shared intimate conversations through their eyes. As they were not love bound to each other according to the first paragraph, the author conveys that it was the child and the mother alone who understood that there was no love in their relationship. They knew it as they were able to read it in each other’s eyes.
b. Paul and Bassett had a partnership or friendship, which was an affectionate relationship between them. Bassett understood even the small things which others even failed to notice. All the news of racing horses was brought to Paul by Bassett, and using the clairvoyant, Paul decided who the winner was.
c. Paul and his uncle Oscar become good partners as soon as he finds out that Paul has good knowledge, which makes him determine the winning horse. He later realises that betting on horses makes Paul more nervous and hampers his health. Oscar Creswell questions Paul on how to win by betting on racing horses, to which he innocently answers that he knows who is going to win once he gets there.
d. Bassett and Paul’s uncle Creswell shared a good bond from long back. Bassett had promised Paul that he would never tell about his horse betting to uncle Oscar Creswell. Later Bassett explained these things to uncle Creswell, and then the three of them became partners.
e. Calling Hester a harsh lady would be totally unfair as she cared for her children after all but gave more importance to materialistic gains. As soon as she realised her son’s obsession with betting on racehorses, she requested the gardener and Bassett to keep him away from Oscar as it should not affect her son’s health. Her son’s obsession was neurotic, so she wanted him to be healthy for which she risked her relationship with her brother.