It was a dreadful bore; and then there could be no doubt that by displeasing at a blow his own father and Lady Adeliza's, he was forfeiting his best if not his only chance of success in life.

Altogether, the more he looked at the prospect the gloomier it grew, and at last he got up impatiently and put an end to his cogitations.
"I shall have to turn backwoodsman at once," he said to himself, "or miner, like those fellows we saw at the Sault." In spite of his confidence in himself and in Lucia, it was not without a little tremor that Mr.Percy walked up to the Cottage next morning.

He began to feel that there really might be some difficulty in persuading a mother to give up her only child to the care of a man who was not only poor, but likely to remain so, who could not even give her the hope of independence such as might fall to the lot of the backwoodsman or miner.
But he kept up his courage as well as he could, and was very little disturbed out of his usual manner when he followed Margery into the small parlour.

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.