A Canadian Heroine, Volume 1
surrounded by the perfect atmosphere of home, she repeated, with wondering trouble, the threat that had come to her. When at last she slept, these words, and the pale face of her
ther's side, and in spite of her terror made her step into the frail boat, which instantly flew down the stream into the darkest and wildest of the storm. She stretched out her arms for help-Percy stood still upon the bank, as if anxious but unable to give it-Maurice waved his hand to her, and turned away.
f that had been done, before her mother should see it; and accustomed as she was to work among her much-beloved plants, the task was soon making quick progress. But among her roses, the most valued of all her flowers, a new discouragement awaited her. One beautiful tree, the finest of all, which yesterday had been splendid in the glory of its late blossoms, had been torn up by the wind, and flung down battered and half covered with sand at a little distance from the bed where it had grown. The sight of this misfortune seemed to Lucia almost more than she could bear; she sat down upon a garden-seat close by, and looked at her poor rose-tree as if its fate were to be a type of her own. She recollected a thousand trifles
e, look! I
e? But perhaps it
fully, while she
ill plant it again; and with plenty of
roots and piled the earth about them; the scattered leaves were picked up from the be
ppen to come just a
e, and when you stopped working and sat down in that disconsolate atti
him gravely, a
she said; "you seem always to
ce la
get up a character for being a sort of Providenc
er child's, she had grieved daily over what she dared not interfere to prevent,-the breaking up of old habits, and the intervention between these two of an influence she dreaded. The experience of her own life had convinced her, rightly or wrongly, that it was worse than useless for parents to try to control their children's inclinations in the most important point where inclination ever ought to be made the rule of conduct. But for years she had hoped that Lucia's affection for Maurice would
e, pale and weary from her vig
ce?" she asked; "can you s
much alone. He seemed better las
will go over to-day and
s she never comes
e in her tone. "I will go and read the newspaper s
ce laughing. "But to reward you, Blackwood arrived last nigh
see into the large square sitting-room, so tidy and so bare, from which the last trace of feminine occupation had passed away three years ago, when Alice Leigh, her old playfellow, died. There, in his hi
t a stranger y
h a tender thrill of
he said; "why did not you
your own chair; sit down
ater, when there were yet others left of the ever-diminishing circle; later still, when Alice and Maurice were her daily companions; and even since, when she herself seemed to be, in the quiet household, th
he new Blackwood, and entertained both her old friend and herself so well with it that two hours passed almost unperceived. Mr. Leigh's old serv
said, as she put aside her book, an
ety to know whether there had been any visitors at home during her a
the parlour. Mrs. Costello sat there
she said, as Lucia came
ok up the note, not much caring to o
gone. He said he was coming to say good
y good
ks. She held the note in a tight grasp to
es. They will be back, I imagine, in a we
ke him away from Cacouna. Only a small time yet remained before he must return to England, and he had been sufficiently conscious t
range about the dresses and so on. Is not it a mercy? William has taken into his head that he is obliged to go up the Lakes to Sault Ste. Marie, in the interest of some client or other, and has persuaded his cousin to go with him, so that Elise and I will be left in peace for our last few weeks together. They are to be back about the 26th, and I have done all I could to make Doctor Morton go
carce can
bin is
else you do. Think of the importance of th
r yo
el
hrough, and gave it to her mother. Mr
on this important
and they don't really want me. I s
so then, but I hope now to be able to persuade him. I think, too, that the squaw who was here yesterday may be one of his people. Formerly
which was clearly so painful a one, restrained her. They dined, and spent the afternoon together without any further allusion to the subject; and Lu
happy or sorrowful. She sat in her low chair and thought of yesterday, of the night and her dream, of old Mr. Leigh sitting alone in his dreary house so many hours each day, of his pleasure at seeing her, of Mr. Percy's absence; finally, of the comfort and pleasantness of sitting there un
ettled. Lucia and Magdalen Scott were to be bridesmaids; Harry Scott and Maurice, groomsmen; and the ceremony was to take place in the house
care. One day he even let her persuade him to walk, with her assistance, as far as the Cottage; and when she had established him in the most comfortable ch
Maurice sat down, glad of the homelike rest of the moment, glad of the friendly look of welcome with which she met him; knowing distinctly that if at that moment he had asked her for anything more than friendship, she would have been shocked and distressed, but willing to enjoy to the utmost all the happiness her present and grateful regard could give him. Not that he was content; an unspeakable longing to get rid of all this veil of reserve, to make her u
t completed, and Lucia was looking forward with a pleasant flutter of excitement to her own appearance as bridesmaid. Mrs. Costello's letter to Mr. Strafford remained unanswered, but from the circuitous route by which their communication now took place that was not wonderful; rather, indeed, the fact of having
nd when she came in she found Maurice alone on the verandah. It was quite dusk, very nearly dark-a
ice?" she said.
swered; "Mrs. Costel
gh? I have not
en at home mos
then?" she
well, but nothing se
is the matter, Maurice. I
expected has happened, but only to my father and m
g unexpec
iver side; it is qu
rf on the bank was soft and uneven. Lucia put her hand throug
ty if you don't mean to satis
then? I feel in no such haste to tell it.
kly they move!
re. They are the lights Ind
dia
o feel her trembling, he said, "I intended a night or two ago to tel
trying to overcome her terror.
eyond Mr. Bayne's? There are three or four Indians at
tained two men, one sitting down in the stern, a dark undefined shadow, scarcely seen except for the occasional flash of his paddle in the light; the other standing at the prow in the full glare of the fire which burned there, and lit up
he was, for a minute or two, too much interested in the novel sight to renew
ting more closely on his arm as if he could protect her, even from her own foolish fear, and
you were going to.
g himself, "is that I have heard more family hist
like to if yo
rectly after their marriage. This marriage, it appears, was disapproved of by my mother
were her father
r lieutenant, with little money, and equally little prospect of rising. I don't know whether women are very wise or very foolish, Lucia, but they seem to see things with different eyes to men. My mother chose to marry, then, though my father was poor, and certain to remain so; though she wa
stopped
rival in Canada, then after the birth of her eldest child, and last of all just before she died; but no answer ever came. After her death
heard, the
y grandfather is, as you may suppose, a very old man; he is ill and
alone? You said
s ago, and left but one child, a daught
d your grandfath
lieve
his heir, the
mother's eldest son is his heir. He
left? Ah, Maurice, if Al
ce si
live, how gladly I would ha
a good thing to be rich. It will be a g
ce la
not reconcile me to my fate.
Is Mr. Lei
. My grandfather wa
t he wants you t
my father
not
il from New Yor
Wednesd
to-morr
ll you c
not you see that this i
ruel all these years; let him wait now. Be
uld have been my mother's wish, and therefor
u persuade him to come and stay wit
ow long I may be away, or what chang
day, in any case. But what sha
s to you, that if you should find it true, you may remember in any disturbance of this quiet life of yours that I had some vague anticipation of it, and not hesitate to let me be any help, any use, to you that I can be. Do you understa
he thought there was something cold and restrained in Maurice's wor
rather resentfully. "I could just as
Maurice. He sighed, wi
e go in?
hen they reached it, instead of foll
ned in
are com
y father will be
call mam
forget me, but, forget that wherever I am, or wherever you are, you
ll see you
in; the air is
ate. What should they do without Maurice? Never in her life had she been so sorrowful, yet she had not the slightest idea how far his pain ex