and spent the afternoon together without any further allusion to the
subject; and Lucia was thankful to perceive that her mother's
tranquillity seemed to have been far less disturbed by this second alarm
than it had been by the first.

In the evening, quite late, Maurice came in. He said his father was much
better. Lucia's long visit had cheered him and done him good, and he
hoped in a day or two to be able to get out a little. Lucia was very
quiet during Maurice's stay; it would not have been easy to say whether
she was 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 undisturbed and hearing the voices of her mother and
Maurice gradually subsiding into a drowsy hum. The next thing she knew
Maurice was saying softly, "She is asleep. Don't wake her, Mrs.
Costello. Good-night." And she woke just in time to catch the last
glimpse of his figure as he went out.

The next day's consultation with Bella about dresses was only the first
of many, in which the arrangements for the wedding were completely
settled. Lucia and Magdalen Scott were to be bridesmaids; Harry Scott
and Maurice, groomsmen; and the ceremony was to take place in the house,
according to a whim of the bride, who did not choose to exhibit her own
and her friends' pretty dresses in the church--"a great ugly barn."

Lucia had also a daily visit to Mr. Leigh to occupy her. He was
recovering from his slight attack of illness, and enjoyed her lively
talk and affectionate care. One day he even let her persuade him to
walk, with her assistance, as far as the Cottage; and when she had