lour. The room was empty; and in a little surprise--for he
expected Lucia would have prepared her mother for his coming--he walked
to the window and looked out on to the verandah. There was no one there,
nor in the garden, but the sound of a door opening made him turn round,
as Lucia, instead of Mrs. Costello, came in.

As they met he saw a change in her. A crimson colour had rushed to her
face for a moment when she came in, but in a moment faded to the most
complete pallor. There was not a sign of her usual shy grace or timid
welcome: she was cold, erect, and composed, nothing more.

She gave him her hand, and said,

"My mother is not well. I must speak to you for her, Mr. Percy, and for
myself."

"But Lucia!" he cried. "What is this? What is the matter? Have you
forgotten last night?"

Her quiet was shaken for a moment.

"No, indeed," she answered. "No. I shall never forget last night."

"You have surely forgotten what I came for this morning then," he said
placing a chair for her. "Sit down and tell me what is wrong, for
something is." His tone, his look, so utterly unsuspicious of anything
that could come between them in this trouble of hers, were hard to bear.
But she had to speak.

"Something is wrong at present," she said steadily; "but we can set it
right. I made a terrible mistake last night. You must go away and forget
all we said to each other."

He looked at her incredulously.

"Explain," he said.

She had to pause for a moment. If it were but over!

"Pray believe what I say," she answered, forming the words slowly and
with difficulty. "I found out last night after you had gone away that it
was a mistake and a wrong--that you could not marry me, nor I you. Do
you understand?"

"No, by heaven!" he cried. "If this is a jest--but it does not look like
one. Did you mean what you said last night?"

"Yes, yes. I meant it then. See, I am a true woman. I have changed my
mind already."

There was a bitter tone of jesting now, for she caught at any means of
keeping down the sobs which would rise in her throat. He took her hand
in a hard grasp.

"Look at me honestly and say what you mean; I am neither to be offended
nor made a fool of. I want to know why you make a promise one day and
try to break it the next?"

She looked at him for a moment, and then let her eyes fall with a heavy
sigh.

"I hoped you would have been satisfied," she said, "to know that our
engagement is broken; but it is true,