 As time goes on , O 'Malley gains the widow 's trust . Christine is the " keeper of the flame " , protecting her husband 's memory and reputation . O 'Malley 's instincts tell him that some secret is being kept from him . He discovers that Forrest 's elderly , mentally ill mother ( Margaret Wycherly ) is living in a separate house on the vast estate . Despite her servants ' attempts to keep them apart , he manages to speak with her and obtains more clues from her ramblings . 
