Mr. Percy.

"If he had not been coming, you would have had to wait for him, I
suppose?" she asked. "I wish he would stay away."

"There are, unfortunately, such things as posts and telegraphs even
further west than Cacouna. I sent a telegram to meet him yesterday
morning."

"Ah, yes, I suppose where there's a will there's a way."

She spoke pettishly, and he only answered by coming across and holding
out his hand to say good-bye. She rose and put out both hers, intending
to say, as she often did when she had been cross, "Don't be angry,
Maurice, I did not mean it," but the words would not come. Her courage
suddenly gave way, and she cried with all her heart.

At that moment Maurice felt that she was really his; he longed
unspeakably to claim her once and for ever; but his old generous
self-repression was too strong for the 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 hidden,
but he bent down, and drawing away her hands for a moment, kissed her
with something more than a brother's warmth, pressed Mrs. Costello's
hand, and hurried away.

Lucia listened intently as the sound of his footsteps, and of the gate
as he passed through it, died away. Then she raised her head, and
pushing back her hair, came and sat down at her mother's feet, hiding
her flushed face and laughing a little half hysterical laugh.