much liked by their neighbours, they were quite overwhelmed with
invitations and visits.

So the days passed on quickly; and for the second time, the one fixed
for their journey was close at hand. One more letter had arrived from
Maurice, containing the news of his grandfather's death. It was short,
like the previous one, and almost equally hurried. He said that he was
struggling through the flood of business brought upon him by his
accession to estates so large, and till lately so zealously cared for by
their possessor. As soon as ever he could get away, he meant to start
for Canada; and as the time of his doing so depended only on his
success in hurrying on certain affairs which were already in hand, his
father might expect him by any mail except the first after his letter
arrived. There was no message to Mrs. Costello in this note, but, on the
other side of the half sheet which held the conclusion of it, was a
postscript hastily scrawled,

"Tell Mrs. Costello to remember the last talk we had together, and to
believe that I am obstinate."

This postscript, however, Mr. Leigh in his excitement and joy at the
prospect of so soon seeing his son, never found out. He read the letter
twice over, and then put it away in his desk, without even remembering
at the moment, to wonder at Maurice's continued silence towards his old
friends. The thought did strike him afterwards, but he was quite certain
that he had read every word of the letter, and was only confirmed in the
ideas he had begun to entertain. He sighed over these ideas, and over
the loss of Lucia, whom he loved with almost fatherly affection; but
still, even she was infinitely less dear to him than Maurice; and if
Maurice really did not care for her, why then, sooner than throw the