rsion somewhere. It is quite the weather for long drives, and our
holiday will not be very long, you know."

"I am entirely at your command," Maurice said, "and Lucia must do as she
is bid, so pray settle your plans with Mrs. Costello."

But Mrs. Costello said decidedly that to dine out for herself was out of
the question--she had not done so for years.

"Oh! I am so sorry," Lady Dighton said. "But of course we must not ask
you in that case--Miss Costello may come to us, may she not? I will take
good care of her."

Lucia had many scruples about leaving her mother; but, however, it was
finally settled that the Dightons should call for her next day--that
they should have a long drive to some place not yet fixed upon--and that
she should afterwards spend the evening with them.

Mrs. Costello was pleased that her child should go out a little after
her long seclusion from all society; and the whole plan was arranged
with little reference to Lucia, who vainly tried to avoid this long
absence from her mother.

The two cousins were scarcely on their road when Lady Dighton asked--

"Well, Maurice, am I to reserve my opinion?"

"As you please," he answered smiling. "I am sure it is not very
unfavourable."

"She is wonderfully beautiful; and, what is most strange, she knows it
without being vain."

"Vain? I should think she was not!"

"What grace she has! With her small head and magnificent hair and eyes,
she would have had quite beauty enough for one girl without being so
erect and stately. You never gave me the idea that she was so
excessively handsome, Maurice."

"Is she? I don't believe I knew it. You see I have known her all her
life--I know every one of her qualities, I believe, good and bad; and
all her ways. I knew she had the purest nature and the warmest, bravest
heart a woman could have; but I have thought very little about her
beauty by itself."

"Well, then, let me tell you, she only needs to be seen--she is quite
lovely; and as for the rest, I do not know yet, but I am very much
inclined to think you may be right. At all events, we are going to be
good friends, and by-and-by I shall know all about her."

CHAPTER XIII.

Lucia came home late in the evening. Mrs. Costello, resuming her old
habits, had sent the servant to bed, and herself admitted her daughter.
They went into the drawing-room together to talk over the day's doings.

"You look very bright," Mrs. Costello said with her hand on L