LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 305, 4 June 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

SNOW STAYED.

In Two Chapters.

(Concluded.)

• How ?' ' By being thought the kindest creature in the world ; a decided novelty for me. Now, come into my library, and I will start you at once.'

' Oh, not in there!' and she drew back. ' I should be frightened to go in there. I hear you keep the bones of Noah and all the animals that went with him into the ark—to say nothing of those he left outside —in there.'

' But if I am to have a pupil, I must superintend the study,' he answered, laughing ; 'and I promise Noah shall not put in an appearance, or in any way disturb your peace of mind ; so follow me. You have never seen my library, have you.'

'No.' ' Then don't speak against such a haven of rest, of which you are ignorant.' ' What would the Narcot girls say, if they could only see us,' she thought, as she followed on tip-toe, not quite certain, but determined to brave. ' Oh, how very charming !' she exclaimed, as she surveyed the comfortable book-lined room, with its carved oak ceiling, its luxurious Persian rugs, its inviting easy-chairs, and its massive double writing-table, the whole made intensely snug by the glow of a bright crackling wood-fire. 'No signs of such a damp creature as Noah here,' he said, as lie placed a chair for her at the writing-table, and rapidly looked out the requisite books, that he might find out how much she did not know, before setting her to work. Through a fog of timidity, she managed to let him see she was fairly advanced, and then he set her some translation to do, himself taking a book the while to read. The translation was effected, and pushed across the table for correction. He then gave her some other work to do, which kept her for two hours in the library, when she left him to seek his mother.

' I am so sorry for you, my love,' said Mrs Hilton, kissing her, ' but glad for myself. This snow will keep you with us for some time. I hope you don't mind ?' And then Helen was surprised to find she did not mind the gloomy prospect so much as she expected. The thought of reading Goethe in the original was cheering. So she said.

' Of course, I don't mind : only, you must give me something to do. Here ; can't I firish these ?; and she |took a pair of wool slippers from a work-basket. ' Oh, thank you, my dear! if you will; they are for Robert; but they puzzle my poor sight so much, I have been obliged to leave them.'

So |between the German lessons and the slippers, the days sped faster than she expected. Even the meals were growing positively agreeable, since her better understanding with the master of the house. Ever since i;he German lessons had begun, he had spent his evenings in the drawingroom, and Helen, overcoming her nervousness, rewarded him by singing. ' We owe theflsnow adebt|of gratitude,' s id Mrs Hilton, one evening after Helen ceased singing. ' Do we not, dear ?'• she said cOdrsssing her son. Mr Hilton did not reply, for he was experiencing a new sensation ; one he had not felt for years, since those old Oxford days,

when a pretty girl, to whom he had been de voted, jilted him, and made him almost despise her sex, vowing never more, if he could help it, to look on the face of any woman, save his mother; a vow he might have kept religiously to the end of his days, but for this fall of snow. Now, circumstances were leagued against him. What vows or resolutions could stand against teaching a nice girl every day for two hours; having the nice girl sitting as his companion at every meal; and, more than all, the same nice girl singing, as she did, evening after evening, the most divine little melodies in the most sympathetic manner ! St Anthony himself must have given in under such a cross-fire of allurements.

He had felt the spell growing gradually, until, at the end of the third week, he stood face to face with the truth, and knew he was a conquered man. She stood between him and his most cherished books and researches, and then he remembered with pain that his youth was all gone, and he had only the tall, lean, grizzled remnants of,, a man to offer to this bright girl, beaming with youth and life; and the knowledge well nigh proved overwhelming. During the lesson hours, he was calm and undemonstrative enough ; but when they were over, and she was gone, there ensued a strange feeling of desolation.

Soon the weather shewed signs of relenting. About a week later, Helen remarked, looking at the snow : • You will soon get rid of me now.'

' You will be better pleased to go than we to lose you,' he returned dolefully. ' I don't know. I shall be sorry to leave the German lessons behind. What a happy thought that was of mine,' she exclaimed. ' I am not so sure of that.' ' Why ? You mean they have interrupted you so dreadfully !' * Yes j' and he left the room. # * * * * * She was purposely late at dinner that day, having gone into the library to fetch the book that lay open on his table, which she brought, and placed open, without a word, at his side.

• There! _I am not going to open my lips to you all dinner-time. I know I have been a dreadful interruption.' He looked at her reproachfully—tenderly, as he closed the book without a word. She read the look, and grew embarrassed, The dinner passed off in silence.

That evening a note came from the Mount Farm which ran as follows: "Dearest Helen Have your miseries equalled or surpassed ours ? We can only liken ours to what the king must have felt when he called next morning to know if Daniel had been devoured or not. Was anything ever so unfortunate as this fall of snow? Do tell v.s r.r.w you have preserved your senses olirougiioat this fearful blockade, for we are positivel r concerned, knowing how and with -.viio 1 ,/e left you ; our cruel laugh at parting has often risen up in judgment against us, making us remorseful"; but we are coming early, the day after to-morrow, to fetch you home. Papa says we may ventuij in the carnage then, not before. We lOjjij you iiive kept a journal detailing your observations of the ways and customs of living fossils. Have you discovered to what species of defunct animal Mr Hilton belongs—Megatherium or Dinotherium ? But from the portraits of those worthies, they are far too comfortable looking to claim relations with such a starved specimen as Mr Hilton, who resembles the Pterodactyl© more, in the skeleton formation, which leaves a generally uncomfortable and disageeable impression.

We are anticipating glorious fun from your description, to make up for past sorrows, and our taste of Siberia. Until the day after to-morrow, then (Annie begs I will write in the plural, and she will append her name), we remain your affectionate friends, Clara and Annie Narcot. 1 Even snow-storms have an end !' sighed Helen, as she sat down to reply to her friends' letter in no sheerful mood.

She aaid nothing to Mr and Mrs Hilton that day, but the next morning at breakfast she remarked to the former : ' I am coming to you [for one more German lesson, if you will bestroubled to give it me.' His hand trembled. Fatal sign in a man ! He may be confidently given up for lost when that sympton|appears. His hand trembled, and Helen saw it.

As he made no reply, she said—come ?'

' May I

' You know your way,' he answered impatiently, sighing, and soon after left the room, his face having grown many shades paler since her first question. Half an hour later, she found him in the library, looking utterly miserable. •What is the matter,' she inquired, as she stood beside him.

His heart was in his eyes as he looked up, with no gaze as if searching into the dead past, but a broad, open, earnest look into the future, as he said: ' I think I am almost sorry the time has come for you to go. I have grown fond of teaching. I wish you would stay a little longer, and let me try to teach you one thing more;' and here one arm stole timidly, oh, so tremblingly, round Helen, who forgot to resent the . liberty!

'What is that?' 'To love me a little,'he whispered, in a voice choked with emotion, which betrayed how hopeless he felt the request, but which now meant everything to him. ' Impossible !' she murmured, shaking her head.

' I feared so !' he said despondingly. 'Do you know why ?' she asked, looking up in his face. 'Why?' ' Because I have learned that lesson already, and know it quite by heart!' The German fared badly that day, as they sat together and conned over another lesson, the same in all languages, the truest and the most blessed they or any one could learn.

' Oh, what will the Narcots say ?' she exclaimed. ' How they will tease me !' and she gave him their letter to read, over which he laughed heartily. ' Tell them, nous avons changi tout cela, and that you have dug up the old fossil, and placed him in the best museum any man can have—a wou...n's loving heart, where he hopes to remain for ever !' ' But, then, I don't think, after all, you could ha 7e I; 3e:i a proper, decent kind of fossil, you k io~,/,' she said archly. 'Why?' ' Because I found you so near the surface; and :t was zo'z such very hard work digging you out,' she added with a bright provoking laugh, • for you were only buried " under a fall of snow."