But; at present, it wanted at least half an hour of sunset.  There was plenty of time for her walk before the short twilight would begin.  She strolled on, rather pleased to be alone, and in no hurry to traverse the space of lonely road which intervened between Mr. Leigh’s and the first houses of the town.  As she had expected, there was not a single passenger on the way, nor did she see any one until, just as the first roof began to be visible in front of her, she perceived lying by the roadside what looked like a large bundle of old clothes.  Coming nearer, she found that it was a man apparently fast asleep, his head hidden by his arms.  Suspecting him, from his attitude, to be tipsy, she felt for a moment inclined to turn back, but her hesitation seemed so foolish that it was immediately conquered, and, keeping on the opposite side, she walked quietly past.  She had scarcely done so, however, when a loud discordant shout was heard from the river, and the sleeper, awakened by it, suddenly raised his head, and began to scramble as quickly as he could to his feet.  Lucia hurried on, but in a moment, hearing unsteady footsteps coming fast behind her, and a thick inarticulate voice calling, she turned to look.  Scarcely three yards from her, staggering along, and muttering, as if he thought the call which had awakened him was hers, was an Indian, his dark face bloated and brutalized by drink.  As she turned, he came nearer and tried to catch her dress.  Happily, he was so much intoxicated that she easily evaded his hand, and with a cry of terror fled along the road.  But the Indian still pursued, and she was hurrying blindly on, only conscious of that horrible face behind her, and of the failing of her strength from excess of terror, when a voice she knew cried “Lucia!” and she found Mr. Percy by her side.

In another moment her agony of alarm was over; she was standing, still trembling violently, but feeling safe and supported, with her hand drawn firmly through his arm, while her pursuer seemed to have slunk away at the sight of a third person, and was now reeling towards the river bank, whence the same voice as before could be heard calling.

Mr. Percy did not attempt to question or comment.  He waited patiently till Lucia’s panic had subsided and she found voice to say, “Oh!  I am so glad you came.”

“So am I. What a brute!  Yes, I am glad I came just then.”

He was so earnest, so shaken out of his usual listless manner, that she was almost startled.  It flashed into her mind too how he had cried “Lucia” in a tone which she had heard in her terror without remarking.

“Are you able to walk on now?” he asked, looking at her with real solicitude and anxiety.

“Oh! yes,” she answered, and they went on slowly.

“But how did you come?” she inquired after a minute’s silence.  “The road seemed quite deserted just before.”

“I came up from the landing below there.  Bellairs persuaded me to go out fishing with him this evening, and as we came back I caught sight of a figure I thought was yours, and made him land me—­happily just in time.”