LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 109, 6 October 1874, Page 3

LITERATURE.

SWEET NELLY HUNTINGDON.

Continued.

Chapter 11.

‘Well, my dear, it’s so long ago since I’ve heard speak of these things that I a’most forget. You’ll make yourself ill ” —this as she saw Nelly helping herself incontinently to another great spoonful of jam. ‘ No, I shan’t. Now, do go on, you tiresome. provoking old thing ! ’ 1 Well, now let me see. You know the picture they call the “ Black Huntingdon," in the gallery ? He was your—let me think now great-great no, great-great-great-grandfather ’ ‘ It’s all the same,’ said Nelly, with her mouth full.

‘No, my dear, it’s not all the same; because one was him, and of course the other ’ad b ; his son.’

‘All right, go on.’

‘And yon know the pretty, pale, sorrow-ful-looking lady in the panel by the big chimney-corner ? ’ ‘ Vos, Lady Isabel.’ ‘ Well, Black Huntingdon and Lord Langholme (at least, he was only Sir Vivian then —his nephew was the first earl) Black Huntingdon and Sir Vivian were both in love with her from the time they were boys, and she favored Sir Vivian always from the first. Well, that didn't hinder Black Huntingdon from going after her, more particular as the Earl, her father, countenanced his suit. It was different in those days, you know, dear—the Langholraes were down and the Huntingdons were up then ; nowit’s all the other way, and they’ve got their turn in the scale. He was an awful jealous disposition was Black Huntingdon, and would come home half-mad sometimes after he’d seen Lady Isabel and Sir Vivian together, or else go scourin’ the country like the wind, on his black horse Satan Once he went off for days and days, nobody knowin’ what had become of him, an’ his people began to be frightened, an’ search the country round, when one night he came home in the midst of a great storm of thunder and lightning, looking for all the world like a ghost, and Satan all in a reck of smoke and foam. He hardly touched ford, and night after night th y heard him walking up and down, up and down, in the great gallery, sometimes giving a sort of choked groan lit e. That was when he found out Lady Isalel would have Sir Vivian, and the Bari had given hit

consent. Well, a month before they was to have been married the war broke out. and Sir Vivian had to go off to the army. Poor things ! there was a sad to do with them, 1 believe ; she clung to him, and went on hei knees to him not to go, or to take her too : but of course that wasn’t possible, and In was a brave young fellow and wouldn’t shiik his duty. So he went with a sore heart, and she cried and said, ‘lt’s all over, an’ we shall never be anything more to each other now,’ And she stood at the castle gate watching him ride off down the hill, and then she fainted, and they carried her off to her room, and for many a long day they thought she’d never come out again except in her coffin.’

Nelly had left off eating now, and was leaning forward eagerly with great wideopen eyes. ‘Go on, go on 1 ’ she cried, as nurse paused. ‘Do give me time to get my breath, child ! ’ said Wilson ; but feeling flattered all the same at the interest her recital awakened. ‘ Well,’ she went on presently, ‘ the Huntingdons was always reckoned an honorable race of men ; but love will make the best do strange things at times, and Black Huntingdon wasn’t of the best. So when Sir Vivian had been gone some time, he set wild stories afloat about him ; and it came to Lady Isabel’s ears that her lover was faithless, and had married a foreign lady. So months went on, and she grieved and wailed and lamented, but no other tidings of her love came to her ; and then her father and mother persuaded her, and Black Huntingdon was always at the castle, so at last the poor soul yielded, and they were married. He was dotingly fond of her, in his jealous, savage kind of way ; but when he saw she woudn’t smile on him, or care for his love or his company, he turned bitter upon her, and was always reproachin’ of her, as if it was her fault, poor lamb ! And then she’d use to wander about, with her poor wan face looking like a ghost, an’ crying sometimes fit to break her heart. And at last Sir Vivian came home, and went first quite joyful to the castle to see his old love. When they told him she wasjmarried to Black Huntingdon he stood like one turned to stone ; an’ then without a word he mounted his horse and came off straight to the Hall. He passed the servants without a word, and went straight into the room where my lady sat ; an’ she sprang to him with a great cry, an’ he took her in his arms , they clasped together as if they’d never part any more, and so Black Huntingdon found them. That night he an’ Sir Vivian stood up together in the beech avenue with their hearts bent on murder. Their hate was savage, and each one was set on killing the other. It was a long time before either got a blow, because they was both good swordsmen ; but at last Black Huntingdon thrust Sir Vivian through the body. But he got a wound in his side first, and after laying many days in great agony, he was so eat up with rage and pain that he died too.’

‘ And what became of Lady Isabel ?’ ‘ She died in giving birth to a son ; so ’twas a pitiful story from first to last. The child was brought up by his grandmother in hatred of the Langholmes, an’ so it’s gone on ever since.’

‘ But, nurse, that alone could not have kept up such a strong feeling in our house, and I am sure it was our side that was in the wrong.’ ‘ No, my dear ; there’s been other things, since then, to foster the feeling. In your great grandpa’s time, he an’ Lord Langholme fell to quarrelling over a bit of land, an’ there was a lawsuit about it that lasted through two generations, and in the end the Huntingdons lost it, and well nigh it ruined ’em, which is the cause of your pa’ bein’ involved as he is now, an’ not able to keep up the state that befits the family. Then there was a dreadful affair with your poor aunt, Mrs Carmichael, that I remember well enough—but you must never mention it, because your papa ’ud never forgive me for telling you.’ ‘ No, no no ! ’ cried Nelly, excitedly, ready to promise anything in her feverish curiosity; ‘is it likely 1 ’ ‘ Well, the last lord’s brother, the Honorable Adrian Langholme, and your aunt Eleanor, met somehow in the grounds, an’ fell in love with each other, and a very handsome young couple they was ; but when your grandpa’ and pa’ heard of it they were furious, an’ threatened to turn her out of doors if ever she spoke to him again. And at last they made her marry Mr Carmichael, a man old enough to be her father, sorely against her will, poor soul ! After she was married, she an’ Mr Adrian met up in London, an’ at last they went off together. 1 shall never forget, as long as I live, the scene there was with your granpa’ an’ Lord Langhome and Mr Carmichael; an’ after it Colonel Huntingdon had a stroke, an’ never left his room again.’ ‘ And aunt Eleanor, nurse ? ’ “ She went abroad, poor thing ! with Mr Adrian, an’ I’ve never load what become of her since. All I know is, she couldn’t marry the man she was fond of, for Mr Carmichael, out of revenge wouldn’t have a divorce. So you see, my dear, it’s little wonder the two families don’t bear each other much love.’

Nelly looked meditatively at the rosette on her fairy-like brouze slipper. ‘ Well, Wilson,’ she said presently, pursing up her pretty mouth, and arching her curved brows, 4 I don’t see that the Langholmes have been any more to blame than we—in fact, not so much.’

4 Hush, my dear 1’ cried nurse, looking up quite frightened ; don’t you go now for to say such things as that. Your pa’ would be ready to kill me lor telling you about them at all.’

4 And has this Lord Langholtne done anything very wicked ?’ asked Nelly. 4 Well, dear, I don’t know anything particular besides bein’ very wild an’fond of the lasses.’ 4 What’s he like to look at?’

4 1 never set eyes on him myself, because he don’t come down here at all—it’s too dull, 1 suppose, an’ he’s never happy except he’s a horse racing an’ gambling an’ making love to the fine ladies. They do tell there was ab u affair with him an’ Lady Milly Cope ; bu it was all hushed up. Susan said she saw i, gentleman up at the Ccurt once that mus ha’ been the young lord, an’ he was smal an’ dark, with a very dissipated look, am great rings under his eyes.’ 4 Oh !’ sa'd Nelly, with a disappointed ah slipping from her favorite high table by th window on which she had again perched her self, 4 in that case I shan’t take any irmr iiterestjn him, because I never could lik-, any man who wasn’t big and fair.’ 4 Hoity-toity !’ cried Wilson. 4 What do you know about young men at all V

‘ Nothing, I’m sorry to say,’rejoined Miss Nelly, gravely ; ‘and as I’m seventeen and a half, it’s high time I knew a little more. I wish papa would lake me up to London.’ ‘ Wishin’s little good, my dear. Your papa’s too much took up with his books to think of leaving home, and he’s never been near London since your poor aunt’s disgrace.’

‘ I shall never get married,’ pouted Nelly. ‘ My dear, marriages are made in heaven, as the sayiug is ; and if it’s ordained you’re to be married, why, married you’ll be. ‘ Well then, the man will have to be dropped down through the clouds, for he’ll never come in at the gates,’ cried Miss Huntingdon, sententionsly.

‘ Now, Miss Nelly, suppose you go and take a walk before dinner ; it’ll do you good.’ < But it’s so stupid walking out alone, nurse.’

Well, then, have your horse round, and go for a ride.’

‘ Oh 1 it’s much too hot for riding this weather. I’ll take a book and go down to the brook-side.’

‘ I wouldn’t go that way, my dear, if I was you. It’s just the boundary to Lord Langholme’s estate, and your pa’ can’t bear any one to go near there.’ ‘ But where’s the harm if Lord Langholmc’s not at home ?’

“Well, my dear, I wouldn’t go if I was you,’ said nurse’s voice, retreating down the passage. But Miss Nelly was as determined as most of her sex, of whom it has been said truthfully enough

‘ If she will, she will, you may depend on’t ; And if she won’t, she won’t and there’s an end on’t ;’ so she slung her hat across her arm, took her favorite ‘Lalla Rookh’ under her arm, and wandered listlessly off in the direction of the brook. Arrived there, she threw herself down by the margin under a sheltering tree, and devoted herself to speculating upon the feuds of the Langholmes and the Huntingdons.

To he continued .