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