LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 559, 3 April 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THOR LEIGH MOAT. A Grandmother’s Tale. Scene : A drawing-room in a country house. Personages : The Grandmother (speaking), the Grandchildren (mute). (Continued.) This chapel was kept in exquisite order and repair, with its family pew, a kind of gallery - its seats for retainers and domestics, with cushions and curtains, and all appliances and means for the Roman Catholic form of worship, to which the family had clung till quite modern times, although, as my uncle kept no chaplain, divine service was now never performed here ; but most interesting of all to me, near the entrance a flight of steps led up into a belfry, whence a door opened upon the moat, said to have been used in time of danger as a mode of escape for the inhabitants of the castle ; in which way I could not discover, unless they swain the moat, and then escaped the enemies on the other side. But for probability I cared nothing; improbabilities—the wilder the better—charmed me far more than any matter-of-fact statement, as is always the case in early youth, and I begged for the ghost story, and listened to it with a throbbing heart and trembling frame. And now you may listen in your turn. Some hapless priest, in times of persecution, had been assassinated in that belfry while in the act of pulling the ropes to give the alarm to his friends on the other side, and his body thrown into the moat; and it was said that often at the hour when he met his fate he was seen to glide up the stairs into the belfry, when the eager listener might hear a faint ringing of bells, mingled with angry voices, and then a fearful splash in the waters of the moat. Such was the tale which my uncle told me with a smile of incredulity, but yet with a certain lurking pride in the tradition, for to an old family, legends of this kind are like fringe upon a costly garment, a necessary finish to its splendour and completeness. We went that morning all over the building. It was at that time, I believe, for its size, the most perfect specimen of feudal architecture in England. It now only serves as a residence for the steward who looks after the estate, and the noble mansion has, I hear, lost all its character and beauty. But to return to the past. As the place then appeared it took firm hold on my romantic imagination, and well read in tales of chivalry as I was, I felt myself transformed into a noble chatelaine, and almost expected to see a knight come ‘ pricking o’er the plain’ to do battle for my charms. My uncle was much amused, and still more pleased with my enthusiasm, and I really believe that if I had been the most artful girl in the world, and had studied my part beforehand, I could not have succeeded better in winning his regard. My aunt too, perhaps influenced by him, seemed to take me to her heart, I was accepted as the daughter of the house, end treated with the most considerate affection. The terrible wounds my heart had suffered in the loss of all my nearest relatives were soon almost healed. With the natural buoyancy of youth I recovered my spirits, and bloomed like a rose in the fresh country air.

Another cause too contributed perhaps to bring back life and joy to my heart—the companionship and attentions of a very amiable and pleasing young man. Thorleigh Moat was situated in a very beautiful but not very populous part of the country. The estates were large, the houses widely scattered, and no important town within reach. Ourjonly near neighbour was a young baronet, who generally resided on his estate, which joined my uncle’s. He had not before been very intimate with the family at the Moat, but happening to call a few days after my arrival, he found me—l suppose I may say it now without vanity—so much to his taste, that he soon repeated his visit, and after a short time was constantly in the house.

Without transcendent talents or remarkable good looks, he was a fine manly fellow, with plenty of good nature and good sense, and an honest upright character. What more should the heart of woman desire ? I took great pleasure in his society, and that feeling would, no doubt, soon have ripened into love, when an event happened which completely ' changed the spirit of my dream.’

This event was the sudden return of my aunt’s son, my cousin, as I called him, to Thorleigh Moat. I had not heard that he was expected; when one day, returning from a long ride, and going into the garden to seek my aunt, who spent much of her time there, I found a stranger quietly seated on one of the old-fashioned benches which were dispersed upon the grassy slopes—and such a stranger! He was simply the handsomest man that I have ever seen. His was a radient beauty, that seemed to light up the sombre evergreens among which he sat, on that dull November day, with a kind of glory. Were Ito describe him to you, you would think I was speaking of a girl ; yet he was not effeminate.

In looking at him you were irresistibly reminded of the demigods of Grecian fable—a Hercules before his labour? had begun, or young Achilles arming for the fight. On seeing me he started up, and advanced, with pleasure beaming in his eyes. ‘ I must introduce myself,’ he said, and his voice was like an organ tone. ‘I am Osmund Ray, and I cannot doubt that I behold my lovely cousin, of whom I have already heard so much from my dear mother. ’

‘ Then you have seen her. ’ I could not help saying, so much was I astonished at this sudden apparition, for which I was not at all prepared, no one having alluded to his expected return. ‘ Of course 1 have seen her,’ he said, and seemed amazed at the surprise I could not conceal; * and now, sweet cousin, let us seek her togetherand together we went into the house, and through the long corridors to his mother’s room; and I remember a strange feeling coming over me, as we walked side by side, that it was not as strangers we had met, and that already we belonged to each other. My aunt seemed, I fancied, somewhat puzzled and even embarrassed, as if she scarcely knew how to take our sudden appearance together ; but a look of peace was on her face I had never seen before. (To be continued.)