But a brother has some privileges, and those he had a right to.

Her face was hidden, but he bent down, and drawing away her hands for a moment, kissed her with something more than a brother's warmth, pressed Mrs.Costello's hand, and hurried away.
Lucia listened intently as the sound of his footsteps, and of the gate as he passed through it, died away.

Then she raised her head, and pushing back her hair, came and sat down at her mother's feet, hiding her flushed face and laughing a little half hysterical laugh.
But the laugh was a complete failure, and broke down into a sob, which was followed by a great many others, enough to have satisfied Maurice himself.

At last she checked herself.

"What a baby I am!" she said.
Mrs.Costello stroked back gently the soft black locks which were falling loose over her lap.
"You are a child, Lucia.