A Canadian Heroine, Volume 1

ithout him? She rose and dressed hastily, fancying that at any moment he might come

ulgence of his inclinations until afternoon, and she was obliged to wait with such patience as she could for his coming. He had told Mrs. Costello that it would be needf

eturn. They consulted over, and completed together, some last preparations for his voyage; and while they felt almost equally the trial of parting with him, the grief of each was a kind of

s a final one. Mrs. Costello had vaguer, but equally oppressive forebodings. She saw that in all probability a few weeks longer would find her peaceful home deserted, and herself and Lucia fugitives. Even if Maurice, transported into

Costello soon rose to return home, having seen to the last possible arrangement for the traveller's

about himself; he will be terribly lonely, and I am afraid of his health suffering more than it has done. He thinks it a duty to my mother, that I

thing," she answered, "we will d

ould be so glad if you would write to me, and so

all have a regular bullet

it. And you will send m

stello

may not be able to keep. I do not know how long I

never quitted her home for a single night, should speak thus of leav

wered h

save myself and Lucia, I may have to go away. No one knows anythi

changed so, lately? Could not

een useless; no

wn ashy pale in alluding to the dreadful subject. Ma

ng been used to think of you almost as a mother, that I feel as if I had a kind of right to your conf

therto I have done so. No, Maurice, though you could scarcely be dearer t

? But you w

Certainly, if eve

not mean that you would not

I ought t

-I am almost sure you know-that whether right or wrong, it is le

ello smil

e for you, and say that you leave as much of your heart in my house as

here is no chance that in time things may be

but, Maurice, my day-dreams of many years past m

wishes are the same as mine. I

bject-it is too tempting. I, too,

l write to m

g as I

and you are never to trust anybody else to do a thing for you

your going more than I should do. I

Cottage, and Lucia

never meant to arrive. Mamma, you look dreadfully

hat her red eyelids should betray her; but she might have spared the trouble. No word or look of hers was likely to pass unnoticed in that last precious few minutes, tho

rt time, Ma

e last hour," he said, "a

ore seven," Lucia answered, "an

. Bellairs is coming home by it, and I

g," but there was no tell-tale change in her face;

have had to wait for him, I suppose?"

and telegraphs even further west than Cacouna. I

e where there's a

nd put out both hers, intending to say, as she often did when she had been cross, "Don't be angry, Maurice, I d

temptation, and he shrunk from taking advantage of her grief and her sisterly affection. But a brother has some privileges, and those he had a right to. Her face was h

gh it, died away. Then she raised her head, and pushing back her hair, came and sat down

h was followed by a great many others, enough to have satisfied Mauri

ly the soft black locks which w

have never been in any hast

ly, mamma. Sixteen and a half! I

stello

on enough, my darling,

u to keep me in order. Mamma, how shall

ge, and recognize Mrs. Costello's black dress, and Lucia's softly flowing muslin, framed in the green branches of the vine and climbing roses. One of those roses wen

le distractions in the course of his journey that, at the end of a week, he congratulated himself on being entirely cured of a very foolish and troublesome fancy. No sooner, however, had they begun their return-taking, it is true; a different route, and continuing to visit new places-than it appeared that t

eans of extrication, if matters should go a step further than he intended. As for the possibility of her suffering, that did not enter into his calculations; there would, of course, be some tears, and she would look prettier than ever through them; but women always shed tears and always wipe

wn where they spent the last night of their tour; it was, therefore, without any idea of what had really happened that he perceived the father and son standing together on the wharf as the boat drew towards it. But as soon as he understood the cause of their being there, it occurred to him that this chance interview would be useful to him at the Cottage; he knew enough of women to guess that the smallest scrap of information about the traveller, even to be able to say, "I saw him on board the boat," would make him addition

e, and was the more unreasonable because she knew that when her brother-in-law (of whom she had really some little awe) should arrive, she would have to lay aside her whims, and consent to accept whoever could be found to take the office of groomsman at so short a notice. When he came, accordingly, she was quite silent and submissive-a short consultation ended in what she had expected; and Mr.

from Liverpool to Norfolk, than to occupy herself either with the wedding or with the incidents of his tour on the Lakes. For the first time Mr. Percy was alarmed; he began to think it possible that during his absence, Maurice had so well used his time as to deprive him of the influence w

hat not only was Mr. Percy so far awakened from his usual state of boredom as to be one of the most dangerous flatterers imaginable to a gir

these things which his father spoke of; and becoming necessary to the proud, childless possessor of such wealth and so fair a home, just as he had been necessary to them all, far away in the west. After all, these hours were the happiest of Lucia's life at that time. They brought her the consciousness of doing right-of doing what would please Maurice, whose approbation had, all her life, been one of her dearest rewards for "being good;" and she had also the actual enjoyment of these quiet conversations, coming in, as they did, between the more vivid and mor

by the fear of her guardian's displeasure from insisting on driving Lucia home, while Doctor Morton, who had been all day absorbed by his patients, waited for her decision about some arrangements for their journey. Lucia could not help g

saying you thought Bella's might be a very ha

not I? What

ou know how tiresome she is. I cannot

ill soon be over. When she is married and in her own house,

do you think

dear, I can't tell. If she does n

a, I am certain you do not thi

would far rather have a marriage of 'that kind' than one founded o

point. "I am sure if I married a man I did not lo

perhaps it may comfort you to know that I have speculated a little on this subject, an

, I am so glad," she cried. "Onl

ased to see Bella and Doctor Morton enacting

seem perfectly happy; and Mr. and Mrs. Leigh must have been so, in spite of everything. Maurice to

and brought me misery unimaginabl