CHAPTER XXIV.
But before Mr.Wynter had time to reply .-- indeed, by the very first possible post--came a letter to Lucia, the sight of which made her very rosy.

She had had plenty of letters from Maurice long ago, and never blushed over them as she did over this; but then this was so different.
She did not even like to read it in her mother's presence.

She just glanced at it there, and carried it off to devour in comfort alone.

It was quite short, after all, for he had scarcely had ten minutes before the post hour; but it said--beside several things which were of no interest except to the reader--that he had found Lady Dighton at Hunsdon on his arrival, and had told her and his father together of his engagement; that his cousin was going to write and invite Mrs.Costello to Dighton; and that Mr.Leigh said, if they did not come down immediately, he should be obliged to start for London himself to tell them how pleased he was.
"At any rate," Maurice concluded, "I shall be in town again on Saturday.
I find I have business to see my lawyer about." All this--as well as the rest of the note--was very agreeable.

Lucia went and sat down on a footstool at her mother's feet to tell her the news.