ucia's
shoulder. "You have enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes, mamma, _so_ much. You know I was a little afraid of Lady Dighton,
and dreadfully afraid of Sir John. But they have both been so good to
me; just like people at Cacouna who had known me all my life."

Mrs. Costello smiled. She was very glad this friendship seemed likely
to prosper. Yet it was not very wonderful that any one should like
Lucia.

"What have you been doing?"

"We went to Versailles, and saw the gardens. We had no time for the
Palace; but Maurice is going to take me there another day. Then we came
home and had dinner; and where do you think we have been since?"

"Where?"

"To the theatre! Oh, mamma, it was so nice! You know, I never was in one
before."

Lucia clasped her hands, and looked up at her mother with such a
perfectly innocent, childish, face of delight, that it was impossible
not to laugh.

"What a day of dissipation!"

"Yes; but just for once, you know. And I could not help it."

"I do not see why you should have wished to help it. How about your
French? Could you understand the play?"

"Pretty well. It was very shocking, you know. Lady Dighton says the best
French plays always are. I cried a little, and I was so ashamed of
myself; only I saw some other people crying too, so then I did not mind
so much."

"You did not really see much of Lady Dighton, then, if you were driving
all afternoon and at the theatre all evening?"

"Oh! yes; we had a long talk before dinner. When we came in, she said,
'Now, Maurice, you must just amuse yourself how you can for an hour. Sir
John has English papers to read, and Miss Costello and I are going to my
room to have a chat.' So she took me off to her dressing-room, and we
were by ourselves there for quite an hour."

"In which time, I suppose, you talked about everything in heaven and
earth."

"I don't know. No, indeed; I believe we talked most about Maurice."

"He is a favourite of hers."

"She says she liked him from the first. She is so funny in her way of
describing things. She said, 'We English are horribly benighted with
regard to you colonists; and my notions of geography are elementary.
When grandpapa told me he had sent for his heir from Canada, I went to
Sir John and asked him where Canada was. He got a big map and began to
show me; but all I could understand was, that it was in North America.
I saw an American once. I suppose I must have seen others, but I
remember one particularl