A Canadian Heroine, Volume 2 | Page 2

own,
she was not likely to guess it. She had acted, in dismissing him, on a
kind of distrust, she would have said, of human nature; more truly, of
him; but even this distrust was so vague and so disguised that it never
shadowed his character in her eyes. So, though she had parted from him,
she took comfort in the thought of his love, and kept it in her heart to
save herself from the overwhelming sense of degradation, which took
possession of her in remembering why she had sent him away from her.
It was this feeling which, in spite of her courage and her pride, had
brought to her face that look of real trouble of which Mrs. Bellairs had
spoken. It was a look of which she was herself entirely unconscious,
more like the effect of years of care, than like that of a sudden sorrow.
With this change of expression on her face, and sobered, but cheerful
and capable as ever in her ways and doings, Lucia made her
preparations for leaving the place which was so dear and familiar to
her.
Mrs. Costello's spirits had risen since their plans were settled. The
burden which was new to Lucia had been her companion for years, and,
except when the actual terror of falling once again into her husband's
hands was upon her, she had come to bear it with resignation and
patience. She had, of late years, endured far more on her child's account
than on her own; and to find that Lucia met her share of suffering with
such steady courage, and still had the same tender and clinging love for
herself, was an inexpressible relief. She had faith in the words she had
said on the night when the story of her life had been told, she believed
that a better happiness might yet come to that beloved child than the
one she had lost. So she lived in greater peace than she had done for
years before.
But her greatest anxiety at this moment regarded Mr. Leigh and
Maurice. She had waited for news of Maurice's arrival in England and
reception by his grandfather, before writing to him, as she had
promised to do. For she wished him to be able to decide, on receiving
her letter, what was the best plan for Mr. Leigh's comfort, in case he

should himself be detained in Norfolk. The accounts which the first
mail brought showed plainly that this would be the case. Mr. Beresford
had immediately taken a fancy to his grandson, and would scarcely
spare him out of his sight. Mrs. Costello, therefore, wrote to Maurice,
telling him that the time she had half anticipated had really arrived, and
that she and Lucia were about to leave Canada. At the same time she
had a long conversation with Mr. Leigh, describing to him more of her
circumstances and plans than she wished any other person to know, and
expressing the regret she felt at leaving him in his solitude. A question,
indeed, arose whether it would not be better for him to leave his large
solitary house, and remove into the town, but this was soon decided in
the negative. He would remain where he was for the present. Maurice
might yet return to Canada; if not, possibly next year he might himself
go to England. One circumstance made Mrs. Costello and Lucia more
inclined to favour this plan--the old man's health had certainly
improved. Whether it was the link to his earlier and happier life, which
had been furnished by the late relenting of his wife's father, or from
some other cause, he seemed to have laid aside much of his infirmity,
and to have returned from his premature old age to something like
vigour.
A fortnight yet remained before the cottage was to be deserted, when
Doctor Morton and his wife returned home. The gossip of the
neighbourhood which, as was inevitable, had been for a little while
busy with Mr. Percy and Lucia, was turned into another channel by
their coming, and people again occupied themselves with the bride.
Lucia was obliged to visit her friend, and to join the parties given on
the occasion, and so day after day slipped by, and the surface of affairs
seemed so unchanged that, but for one or two absent faces, it would
have been difficult to believe in all that had happened lately.
But, of course, it did at last become known that Mrs. Costello was
going away. She and Lucia both spoke of it lightly, as an ordinary
occurrence enough; but it was so unlike their usual habits, that each
person who heard the news instantly set himself or herself to guess a
reason, and, connecting it with the loss of Lucia's