Mrs.Costello's touch on the soft hair, her tone of gentle reproof, and the thoughts her words called up, brought tears, fast and thick, to her child's eyes.

Lucia had shed few tears in her life.

Until lately she had known no cause for them; and lately they had not come.

With dry eyes and throbbing temples she had gone through the most sorrowful hours; but now the spell seemed broken, and a sense of calm and relief came with the change.

Mrs.Costello went on,-- "There is another reason why we must appear as we have always done.
Suspicion is not proof.