A Canadian Heroine, Volume 1 | Page 7

other end of the boat, and
Lucia felt relieved when she caught sight of his tall figure towering
among a cloud of muslins and feathers, quite out of hearing. Maurice
brought her a stool, and she sat peaceably leaning against the bulwarks,
and enjoying the bright day and swift motion, until they reached the
small woody island where the party were to dine.
The boat was soon deserted, and the gentlemen occupied themselves in
arranging the hampers and packages near to the place chosen for dinner.
Then three or four of the most capable being left in charge of the
preparations, the rest dispersed in all directions until they should be
summoned to their meal.
A number of the young girls, under the guidance of Bella Latour,
crossed the island to the edge of a tiny bay, where they stained their

fingers with wild strawberries, and washed them in the river. They
collected enough fruit to fill all the large leaves they could find, and
then sat down under the shade of a tree to enjoy their spoil and "a good
talk." This highest of feminine delights, however, was not left
uninterrupted. Half-a-dozen gentlemen made their appearance, carrying
bows, arrows, targets, etc., and seeking a good place for an impromptu
archery-ground. Everybody sprang up, the ground was chosen, bows
and arrows distributed, and shouts of laughter began to follow each
shot of the unpractised archers. Of the whole group, Bella, Lucia, and
May Anderson, a little yellow-haired Scotch girl, were the only ones
who had even attempted to shoot before. May was the first whose
arrow touched the target at all, and her success was followed by other
failures, until Lucia's turn came. Lucia, to confess the truth, was a little
out of humour still. She was not enjoying herself at all, though it would
have puzzled her to say why, and she took the bow that was offered her,
and stepped forward to her place in the laziest way imaginable. A
considerable number of lookers-on had by this time gathered round the
clear space, and just as she was carelessly raising her bow she caught
sight of Mrs. Bellairs' grey cloak, and Mr. Percy's tall figure beside it.
"The fop!" she said to herself. "He thinks we are all half savages," and
with the energy of her ill-humour she suddenly changed her attitude,
drew her bow, and sent her arrow straight to the centre.
Of course it was all chance. Nobody was more astonished than herself,
but at any rate it was a success, and success is always agreeable. Before
she had time to peril her new reputation by a second trial, the boat-bell
rung to announce dinner, and everybody returned to the place which
had been chosen for the meal.
All picnics have a strong family likeness: even in Canada there is
nothing new in them. Mr. Percy hated picnics, and found this one
neither more nor less stupid than usual. The slight fillip which Lucia
had innocently given to his bored faculties, soon subsided. He sat near
her at dinner, and thought her stupid; he noticed too that she wore her
hat badly, and had a very countrified air, "of course."
The boat returned up the river much more slowly than it had gone

down. The elder people were tired, and the younger ones began to think
of the evening, and to reserve themselves for it. The band played at
intervals, with long pauses, as if the musicians were tired too. Mrs.
Bellairs had resumed her chair on deck, but some of the elder ladies
were gathered round her; Bella and Lucia sat together in one corner. Dr.
Morton, the most desirable parti in Cacouna, was literally, as well as
figuratively, at Bella's feet, and Maurice leaned on the railing beside
them. Mr. Percy was happier than he had been all day; he had been
taken possession of by a pretty young matron--an Englishwoman, who
still talked of "home," and they had found out some mutual
acquaintance, of whom she was eager to hear news. Yet he was not too
much engrossed to perceive the group opposite to him, or even to keep
up a kind of half-conscious surveillance over them. At the landing the
party dispersed, almost all to meet again in the evening at the
unfinished house, which had been appropriated for a ball-room. Mrs.
Bellairs drove her sister and Lucia home, leaving Mr. Bellairs and Mr.
Percy to follow; and when they arrived, the ladies had shut themselves
up in their rooms, to drink tea and rest before dressing.
At nine o'clock, while Mr. Percy was finishing his toilette, his host
knocked at the door. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Elise was anxious to
see the rooms before anybody arrived, so she and the girls are