would, for reasons of his own, be glad that Lucia should be out of
Maurice's way if he returned to Canada. She supposed that he had, on
reflection, begun to shrink from the idea of a half-Indian
daughter-in-law, and while she confessed to herself that the feeling
was, according to ordinary custom, reasonable enough, she was at heart
extremely angry that it should be entertained.

"My beautiful Lucia!" she said to herself indignantly; "as if she were
not ten times more lovely, and a thousand times more worth loving, than
any of those well-born, daintily brought up, pretty dolls, that Lady
Dighton is likely to find for him! I did think better of Maurice. But,
of course, it is all right enough. I had no right to expect him to be
more than mortal."

And Lucia went on in the most perfect unconsciousness of all the
troubled thoughts circling round her. She spoke honestly of her regret
at leaving Canada when, perhaps, Maurice might so soon be there, though
she kept to herself the hopes which made her going so much less sad than
it would have been otherwise. She was extremely busy, for Mrs. Costello,
now that she thought no more of returning to the Cottage, had decided to
sell it; all their possessions, therefore, had to be divided into three
parts, the furniture to be sold with the house, their more personal
belongings to go with them, and various books and knickknacks to be left
as keepsakes with their friends. It was generally known now all over
Cacouna that Mrs. Costello was going "home," in order that Lucia might
be near her relations in case of "anything happening,"--a thing nobody
doubted the probability of, who saw the change made during the last few
months in their grave and quiet neighbour. They were a little vague in
their information about these relations, but that was a matter of
secondary importance; and as the mother and daughter were really very