A Canadian Heroine, Volume 1

and glittering. The Mermaid, a small steamer, lay in the wharf, gaily decorated with flags; and throngs of people began to gather at the landing an

skets as they were carried on board, and meantime keeping an anxious look-out along the bank of the ri

ht to have sent you, two girls never are to be trusted." Mr. Percy turned round. He was conscious of a little amused curiosity about this Backwoods beauty, and, at hearing this second appeal to Maurice where she was concerned, it occurred to him to look more attentively than he had done before at the person appealed to. They were standing opposite to each other, and they had three attributes in common. Both were tall, both young, and both handsome. Percy was twenty-eight, and looked more than his age. Maurice was twenty-four, and looked less. Percy was fair-his features were admirable-his expression and manner had actually no other fault than that of being too still and languid. Maurice had brown hair, now a little toss

the two girls out of the carriage, and into the boat. Bob marched off in charge of a groom; the paddle

and sent her husband to bring the truants. Maurice remained beside her, and wh

s her fault. She had some objection to leaving her mo

answer. "But, however, I will fo

something irritating in the idea of there being in the neighbourhood one sole and unapproachable beauty, and of that one being given up by common consent to a boy, a mere Canadian boor! Of course he could not understand that no one else could have seen this matter in the light he did; that everybody, or nearly everybody, thought of Maurice and

ely curious, and then he must look at her by-and-by. Too late now,-she was talking to Maurice,-always Maurice,-and had her back completely turned; there was nothing visible but the outline of a tall sligh

but Mr. Percy's meditations remained suspended. A few minutes afterwards he walked away to the other end of the boat, and Lucia felt relieved when she caught sight of his tall figure towering among a cloud of muslins and fea

es near to the place chosen for dinner. Then three or four of the most capable being left in charge o

arrows, targets, etc., and seeking a good place for an impromptu archery-ground. Everybody sprang up, the ground was chosen, bows and arrows distributed, and shouts of laughter began to follow each shot of the unpractised archers. Of the whole group, Bella, Lucia, and May Anderson, a little yellow-haired Scotch girl, were the only ones who had even attempted to shoot before. May was the first whose arrow touched the target at all, and her success was followed by other failures, unti

," and with the energy of her ill-humour she suddenly changed her

and success is always agreeable. Before she had time to peril her new reputation by a second trial, the

ither more nor less stupid than usual. The slight fillip which Lucia had innocently given to his bored faculties, soon subsided. He sa

ost desirable parti in Cacouna, was literally, as well as figuratively, at Bella's feet, and Maurice leaned on the railing beside them. Mr. Percy was happier than he had been all day; he had been taken possession of by a pretty young matron-an Englishwoman, who still talked of "home," and they had found out some mutual acquaintance, of whom she was eager to hear news. Yet he was not too much engrossed to perceive the group opp

the door. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Elise was anxious to see the rooms before

s, what hours do pe

n to dance at nine and finish soon after twelve. That accounts

conspicuously and lighted the approaching guests as they wound their way among the rough heaps of mortar, planks, and various débri

skilfully decked with green that the rough splinters of wood which formed them were completely hidden. Flags and garlands ornamented the rough brick walls, and with plenty of light an

sage to the dressing-rooms, from which sounds of voices and laughter

as you would have me believe," said Mr. P

ressing-room. "Oh, William!" she said, "I'm so glad

Where are yo

Henry was gone to look for them. Maurice only waited a few minut

be here immediately. I only hope

ulders and retreated. Mr. Perc

dents often ha

rong where Elise had the management, before

perhaps, quite beyond suspicion as to sobriety, but there was no fear of their being unable to do their duty reasonably well. The happy news of

to be capricious, especially female ones, and the Queen of Cacouna was not above the weaknesses of her class. Perhaps Mr. Percy-who was certainly bored himself-bored her a little. At any rate she signified

tner, found his eyes turning naturally to Lucia; but befo

ive up my quadrille. It is a great nuisanc

smiled, and h

cousin touched him on the shoulder, "

shrug. "Miss Costello, if you are disengag

can use to men they dislike, but she was too great a novice, and found no better expedient than to accept the invitation as coolly as it was given. Probably, however, Mr. Percy attributed her blush to a cause very different from its real one; or else there was somet

r, to remain quite insensible to the good qualities of a handsome man, who evidently wishes to make himself agreeable to her. When the man in question is the lion of the day, probably his success becomes inevitable; at all events, Lucia gra

eft their place to rejoin Mrs. Bellairs, Maurice Leigh came into the room by a s

e next quadrille, are y

promised it to him i

e danced this on

"we agreed, long ago, always to dance the first quadrille tog

ss his privilege to-night; you must

of steward to-night and has so many

have waited pat

should have waited, for no one but a s

wever, you

le as she sat down. A minute after, she was carried off by anot

himself comparing her with a certain Lady Adeliza Weymouth, of whom he had been supposed to be épris the season before. But then Lady Adeliza had no particular claim to beauty; s

ay home. They had started, talking gaily enough, but

Maurice asked, "A

her so far away that she star

o! At least n

enjoyed the

l. Not much

this evening. Come, confess you a

; mamma, I am sure,

made yo

wanted to do so. Maurice,

noticed it. Do

ty; can you guess what it is?" but she had an instinctive consciousness, that even to this dear and tried friend, she ought not to speak of a subject on which Mrs. Costello was invariably silent. Even to herself, a certain darkness hun

said, "I do not think she would hide anything from you which need g

e plan. You would have people feel no sympathy for the troub

red, or you would take the tro

more closely round her, for the dewy nig

How long the road seems to-ni

e. See, that is you

the lane. I can run up ther

not. Sit still,

Maurice! You treat me j

I suppose. I will

rom either ridicule or anger, th

l, as well as mamma's. They must both be tired of waiting. Why does y

silenced her. In another minute the

ention of making some kind of apology for her petulance, had no time to ripen. Maurice helped her down wi

ly flew to the window. The farmhouse where Mr. Leigh and Maurice lived was so near that the lights in its different windows could be plainly distinguished. After

self. "Poor Maurice, how good he i

gether, and a fainter gleam stole out from what she knew to be the window of Maurice's room. She

, to reconcile them; but since his long absence at college, and, above all, since Alice's death, they had ceased to torment each other. The relations of master and pupil had been added to those of playfellows, and their intercourse had run on so smoothly that until to-night Maurice had never known his charge's full power to irritate him. Like most persons of steady and equable temperament, he felt deeply annoyed, even humiliated, by having been surprised into impatience and anger; he was doubly displeased with himself and with Lucia. Yet, as he thought of her his mood softened; she was only a child, and would be

s hand touched a dead flower, which had fallen with them. It was Lucia's rose. He was just about to throw it down again, when his hand stopped. "She spoke of something different," he muttere