The new guest was much too intimate for Mrs. Costello to dream of “making conversation.”  She sat quite still looking out.

By this time sunset had entirely faded from the sky, and a few stars were beginning to twinkle faintly; but the rising moon, herself invisible, threw a lovely silver brightness over the river and made a flitting sail glimmer out snowy white as it went silently with a zigzag course up the stream.  Between the river and the cottage every object began to be visible with that cold distinctness of outline which belongs to clear moonlight,—­every rail of the garden fence, every plant that grew beyond the shadow of the building.  A tall acacia-tree which stood on one side waved its graceful leaves in the faint breeze, and caught the light on its long clusters of creamy blossom.

Everything was so peaceful that there seemed, even to herself, a strange discord between the scene within and the heavy pain that sunk deep into her heart this evening—­a trembling sense of dread—­a passionate yet impotent desire to escape.  She pressed her hand upon her heart.  The motion roused her from her reverie which indeed had lasted but a minute—­one of those long minutes when we in one glance seem to retrace years of the past, and to make a fruitless effort to pierce the veil of the future.  She rose, and, bidding her companion “Come in,” stepped into the little parlour.

A shaded lamp had been brought in and placed on the table, but the flame was turned down so as to throw only a glimmering light just around it.  Mrs. Costello turned it up brightly, and opening the door of the adjoining room, called Lucia, who came, slow and reluctant, at the summons.  Maurice pushed forward a little chintz-covered chair into its accustomed place by the table, and looked at the wilful girl as much as to say, “Be reasonable and make friends,” but she did not choose to see.

“I can’t sit indoors,” she said, “it is too hot;” so she went and sat down on the doorstep.

Maurice gave a little impatient sigh, and dropped into a chair which stood opposite to Mrs. Costello, but turned so that without positively looking round, he could see the soft flow of Lucia’s muslin dress, and the outline of her head and shoulders.

He had brought, as usual, various odds and ends of news, scraps of European politics or gossip, and morsels of home intelligence, such as women who do not read newspapers like to be told by those who do, and he began to talk about them, but with no interest in what he said; completely preoccupied with that obstinate figure in the doorway.  By-and-by, however, the figure changed its position; the head was gradually turned more towards the speakers, and Maurice’s as gradually was averted until the two attitudes were completely reversed; he and Mrs. Costello appeared to be engrossed in the subject of a conversation which had now grown animated, while Lucia, from her retreat, stole more and more frequent glances at the visitor.  At length she rose softly, and stealing, with the shy step of a child who knows it has been naughty, to her own chair, she slipped into it.  A half smile came to Maurice’s lips, but he knew his old playfellow’s moods too well to take the least notice of her movement, and even when she asked him a question, he simply answered it, and did not even look at her in doing so.