ushed over them as she did over this; but then this was so different.
She did not even like to read it in her mother's presence. She just
glanced at it there, and carried it off to devour in comfort alone. It
was quite short, after all, for he had scarcely had ten minutes before
the post hour; but it said--beside several things which were of no
interest except to the reader--that he had found Lady Dighton at Hunsdon
on his arrival, and had told her and his father together of his
engagement; that his cousin was going to write and invite Mrs. Costello
to Dighton; and that Mr. Leigh said, if they did not come down
immediately, he should be obliged to start for London himself to tell
them how pleased he was.

"At any rate," Maurice concluded, "I shall be in town again on Saturday.
I find I have business to see my lawyer about."

All this--as well as the rest of the note--was very agreeable. Lucia
went and sat down on a footstool at her mother's feet to tell her the
news. Mrs. Costello laid her hand on her child's head and sighed softly.

"You will have to give up this fashion of yours, darling," she said,
"you must learn to be a woman now."

Lucia laughed.

"I don't believe I ever shall," she answered. "At least, not with you or
with Maurice."

"Would you like to go to Dighton?"

She considered for a minute.

"Yes, mamma, I think I should. You know how things are in those great
houses; but I have never seen anything but Canada, and even there, just
the country. I should not like, by-and-by, for people to laugh at
Maurice, because I was only an ignorant country girl."

She spoke very slowly and timidly; but Mrs. Costello began to think she
was right. It would be as well that the future mistress of Hunsdon
should have some little introduction to her new world, to prepare her
for "by-and-by."

Next day came two letters for Mrs. Costello, as well as one for Lucia.
The first was from Lady Dighton full of congratulation, and pressing her
invitation; the other, from Mr. Wynter, announced that he, his wife, and
daughter, would be in London next evening. Next evening was Saturday,
and Maurice also would be there, and would, of course spend Sunday with
them; so that they had a prospect of plenty of guests.

Maurice, however, arrived early in the day. He had established himself
at a neighbouring hotel, and came in quite with the old air of being at
home. He made a little grimace when he heard of the others who were
expec