He grieved for the child whom he had known from her birth now plunged so young into a sea of troubles, and as he saw how bravely and steadily she met them, his desire to help and spare her grew painfully strong.

If he could have said to them both, "Go, leave the miserable wretch to his fate, and find a home where you will never need to fear him again," he would have done it with most genuine relief and satisfaction; but he could not do so--at least, not yet; and duty was far from easy at that moment.
"Yes," he said as cheerfully as he could, in answer to Lucia's glance.
"I have been in Cacouna for some hours to-day and I shall be there again to-morrow.

I own, Lucia, I have not unlimited faith in circumstantial evidence." Lucia started, and her heart seemed to give a great leap--could he mean that the prisoner was innocent?
A week ago she would have said that the burden of disgrace lay upon them too heavily to be much increased by anything that could happen, and now she knew by the wild throb of hope how its weight had been doubled and trebled since the shadow of murder had been hanging over them.

But the hope died out at once, for there was nothing in her mind to feed it, and she had sunk back into her enforced quiet before she answered, "Will you tell me what the evidence is, if you have heard at all exactly, and what you have seen to-day ?" There was nothing of girlish excitement or agitation in her words or tone.

Mr.Strafford wondered a little, but at once did as she asked.
"The evidence appears to be very simple and straightforward.