In the progress of their acquaintance it was natural that the cousins
should often speak of Canada. Lady Dighton understood as little, and
cared as little, about the distant colony as English people generally
do; but she had considerable curiosity as to Maurice's past life; and in
her benevolent efforts to improve and polish him, she was obliged to
recognize the fact that, loyal Englishman as he was by birth, education
and association, he might have said truly enough,

"Avant tout, je suis Canadien."

She had no objection whatever to this; on the contrary, she had enough
romance in her disposition to admire all generous and chivalric
qualities, and her cousin's patriotism only made her like him the
better; but in spite of his frankness in most things, she had no idea
that this affection for his native country was linked to and deepened by
another kind of love. Lucia's name had never passed his lips, and she
had no means of guessing how daily and hourly thoughts of one fair young
Canadian girl were inseparably joined to the very roots of every good
quality he possessed. This ignorance did not at all arise from want of
interest. Her feminine imagination, naturally fertile on such subjects,
soon began to occupy itself with speculations in which every eligible
young lady in the country figured in turn. It was not to be supposed
that the heir of Hunsdon would find much difficulty in obtaining a wife;
the really embarrassing task for his mentors was to see that he looked
in the proper direction. And in this matter Mr. Beresford was not wholly
to be trusted. So, as it happened, Lady Dighton began to take a great
deal of perfectly useless thought and care for Maurice's benefit, at the
very time when he, all unconscious of her schemes, was beginning to
consider it possible that he might confide to her the secret of his
anxious and preoccupied thoughts.