back again the very
light of his eyes.

Anxious as Maurice had been to avoid notice at the moment of his arrival
at Cacouna, he had been seen and recognized on the wharf, and the news
of his coming carried to Mr. Bellairs before he had been an hour at
home. So it happened that while the father and son sat together in the
afternoon, and were already discussing the first arrangements for their
return to England, a sleigh drove briskly up to the door, and Mr. and
Mrs. Bellairs came in full of welcomes and congratulations.

"I knew we might come to-day," Mrs. Bellairs said, still holding her
favourite's hand and scanning his face with her bright eyes. "We shall
not stay long, but it is pleasant to see you home again, Maurice."

"Don't say too many kind things, Mrs. Bellairs," he answered, "or you
will make me want to stay when I ought to be going."

"Going! You are surely not talking of that yet?"

"Indeed I am. We hope to be away in a fortnight."

"Oh! if you _hope_ it, there is no more to be said."

"If you knew how I have hoped to be here, and how disappointed I have
been to-day, you would not be so hard on me."

They had both sat down now and were a little apart, for the moment, from
the others. Mrs. Bellairs was surprised at Maurice's words, though she
understood instantly what he meant. He had never before given her a
single hint in words of his love for Lucia, though she had been
perfectly aware of it. She guessed now that his grandfather's death had
changed his wishes into intentions, and that since he was in a position
to offer Lucia a share of his own good fortune, he no longer cared to
make any secret of his feelings towards her.

"You did not expect that our friends would be gone," she asked in a tone
which expressed the sympathy she felt and yet could not be taken as
inquisitive. As for Maurice, he wanted to speak out his trouble to
somebody, and was glad of this result of his little impetuous speech.

"I was altogether uncertain," he answered; "I wanted to start from
England a week sooner, and if I had done so, it seems, I should have
found them here; but I was hindered, and for some reason or other, they
chose to keep me in the dark as to their intentions."

"Lucia often talked of you and of her regret at going away just when you
were expected."

"She did? Do you know where they are?"

"No; and that is the strangest thing. I believe their plans were not
quite fixed; but still Mrs. Costello was