light would begin. She
strolled on, rather pleased to be alone, and in no hurry to traverse the
space of lonely road which intervened between Mr. Leigh's and the first
houses of the town. As she had expected, there was not a single
passenger on the way, nor did she see any one until, just as the first
roof began to be visible in front of her, she perceived lying by the
roadside what looked like a large bundle of old clothes. Coming nearer,
she found that it was a man apparently fast asleep, his head hidden by
his arms. Suspecting him, from his attitude, to be tipsy, she felt for a
moment inclined to turn back, but her hesitation seemed so foolish that
it was immediately conquered, and, keeping on the opposite side, she
walked quietly past. She had scarcely done so, however, when a loud
discordant shout was heard from the river, and the sleeper, awakened by
it, suddenly raised his head, and began to scramble as quickly as he
could to his feet. Lucia hurried on, but in a moment, hearing unsteady
footsteps coming fast behind her, and a thick inarticulate voice
calling, she turned to look. Scarcely three yards from her, staggering
along, and muttering, as if he thought the call which had awakened him
was hers, was an Indian, his dark face bloated and brutalized by drink.
As she turned, he came nearer and tried to catch her dress. Happily, he
was so much intoxicated that she easily evaded his hand, and with a cry
of terror fled along the road. But the Indian still pursued, and she was
hurrying blindly on, only conscious of that horrible face behind her,
and of the failing of her strength from excess of terror, when a voice
she knew cried "Lucia!" and she found Mr. Percy by her side.

In another moment her agony of alarm was over; she was standing, still
trembling violently, but feeling safe and supported, with her hand drawn
firmly through his arm, while her pursuer seemed to have slunk away at
the sight of a third person, and was now reeling towards the river bank,
whence the same voice as before could be heard calling.

Mr. Percy did not attempt to question or comment. He waited patiently
till Lucia's panic had subsided and she found voice to say, "Oh! I am so
glad you came."

"So am I. What a brute! Yes, I am glad I came just then."

He was so earnest, so shaken out of his usual listless manner, that she
was almost startled. It flashed into her mind too how he had cried
"Lucia" in a tone which she had heard in her terr