LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 575, 22 April 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE.

( Continued.) ‘ Why, man, do you suppose that because I am a bachelor I must necessarily be a hermit ? That doesn’t suit my book at all. My sister Marion is here to do the honours (her husband, John Revel, is one of the nicest creatures going); then there is Miss Kuril el, who is a blue, and knows everything, from the date of the next comet to the name of the he t gasping jclly-lish left high and dry by the tide ; but she is very merry in spite of her learning; and Mrs Wilmott, who knows nothing in particular excepting that she is awfully pretty; and there is little Lily Revel, John’s sister, you know.’ 1 did not know ; but a shade of difference in Charley’s tone made me suspect ‘ little Lily Revel ’ to be something more than merely ‘John’s sister.’ J glanced at him, hut he was busily engaged in steering the boat through a difficult passage between the rocks, and 1 could make nothing of his countenance, I should have plenty of time for future observation, but my suspicions cost me some present annoyance. A man in love is always a vsry unsatisfactory animal to his friends; but when he happens to be your host, tlio evil is intensified beyond patient endurance. Charley Denham had been the one dependable friend I had ever seen since vve were boys together in the cricket-licld or pulled in the same boat past the woods and meadows which skirt the Thames. He had always appeared to me the model of manly joyous life, and 1. had rejoiced nnfeigncdly when the death of some distant relative had put him in possession of this lunismore, just the very place for an enthusiast like Charley to try his hand at a reproduction of Paradise. I hit now, by the premature beguilemonts of an Eve, all his fair hopes would bo foregone ; and, what concerned me more immediately, all the comfort and amusement of his male guests would be sacrificed to the caprices of some silly chit of a girl. It was too provoking. ‘There they arc,’ burst from Charley’s lips as wc rounded a long low point of rook, and came in sight of a group of brightcolored dresses upon the pier ; and in another minute our boat lay motionless at the steps, and I was being introduced to the ladies. It was dusk, and my feelings were a little fluttered, consequently I had no very clear notion which name belonged to each, but found myself walking towards the house beside a lithe graceful figure wrapped in some floating garment, which did not mar nor conceal the exquisite line of her neck and shoulder, nor the round slenderness of her waist. Her voice, too, how beautiful it was ! low, sweet, vibrating, with just a touch of the round rich accent which can never be attained by English lips. Who was she ? I wondered. Charley was in advance, walking, no doubt, with his Lily, who seemed short, not to say dumpy, to my prejudiced eyes, and whose gait appeared almost a waddle in comparison with my companion’s electric tread. Mrs Revel—Charley’s sister Marion—l had known before her marriage. She made a delightful hostess ; and soon, when all our large party gathered in force round the dinner-table, I was disposed to confess that Charley was quite right to eschew hermitism in Imiismore. The change in my feelings on the vexed subject of bacbelordom was remarkable for its rapidity. Before that dinner—my first meal in Imiismore—was over, I was ready to regard it as a positive misfortune ; in another hour I would cheerfully have relinquished all my ‘ comforts,’ all my ‘ amusements,’ my extra horse at Leeds, my pet tailor—yes, even my favourite meerschaum, for the sake of the fair creature who bad dawned on my senses like a vision—tbe creature with the glorious figure, the cooing voice, and the face to match. All that night I dreamt of her. Although I was wearied with my journey, my sleep was far from sound: again and again I walked by her side up from the shore ; and once I tried in imagination to seize her hand, hut instead of grasping the soft pink little palm, I only succeeded in knocking my knuckles against the wall. Again and again I fancied I heard her voice, hut I found I had only been aroused by the shriek of some sea-bird.

Have pity on me, reader. I was barely | twenty-three : * love at first sight’ miuht surely be forgiven me ; particularly in these sober and rational days, when folks are getting far to wise to fall in love at all. A little verdancy and improssionablcness may perhaps come as a crisp and refreshing salad after the tonic regimen of the period. ‘ The house’ on 1 nnismore was a huge rambling structure, nrdely built by country artisans. The avails were some four feet tlrck, not built so for strong l h, but for the simple reason that the .masses of granite | from the (jnarry were too hard to be cut \ with the primitive tools at command ; there- j fore the stones were roughly fitted one upon another, and cemented together by incredible j quantities of lime. If the walls formed thereby were neither perpendicular nor particularly even, they were certainly warm and sound-proof to a degree of which the inhabitants of the ‘ brick and a half ’ structures of Brixton or Westbound a can have faint idea. Charley had Idled his mansion with a curious collection of articles : a portion of a whale’s vertebras, hewn into a fairly comfortable scat; a table once screwed to the cabin of a Transatlantic steamer; chairs picked up at odd times and in odd places, and which bore 00l the adjective in their own proper selves, being decidedly an ‘odd’ collection. Bugs made of ‘ kyloe’ skins were spread over the hoards - carpet s there were none ; and sonic beautiful foreign skins Avcre thrown upon the so 1 as and lounges. Altogether avo had a failshare of luxury, and could not complain of a lack of Avhat our host termed ‘ creature comforts.’ As for food, Dives-like, avo ‘fared sumptuously every day’ on game and fish, venison-tasted mutton, pi u’try, and ‘ kippered ’ salmon, together Avith tlaky milk broad, and such cakes and sAvects as I suspected could only have originated beneath the fingers of Mrs Bevel herself. In spite of Charley Denham’s supposed devotion to Lily, he Avaa as merry and amusing a companion as I had found him in the old days, and his love-making interfered nothing Avith his duties as hour host. The day after my arrival v/e went out shooting, and 1 had the satisfaction of making an excellent ‘bag,’ and bringing doAvn my first grouse. A deep-sea fishing party A\ r as arranged for the folloAving morning, and I was delighted to hear Charley say, ‘ The ladies Avill go Avith ns ; avcTl have the largo boat, Avhich will easily hold us all.’ On our return to the house Ave found our friends in great excitement. The steward had come to inform his master that strange

things had taken place rit midnight in the lighthouse at the extremity of the island. Shrieks had been heard, and loud calls for help, deep groans, and carious whisperings • and the light-keepers had failed to find out what could have occasioned it all.

Mrs Revel retailed the story to us as she walked with us up from the gate. ‘ The servants are dreadfully f'ightened,’ she said. ‘ Here come Lily and Alary; I believe they want you to take us up to the lighthouse tonight to hear for ourselves.’ I had not dared to ask Charley what was the name of the lady who had so fascinated me, for 1 shrank from the raillery I guessed might follow ; 1 knew it not, for there she was, walking to meet us, with the round pretty little thing to whom Ch rlcy’s devoirs wore evidently due. ‘Alary.’ The sweetest name on earth. But ‘ Mary’ what ? I could not remember ; never mind, 1 should soon find out; and what did it matter? she would be ‘ Alary’ in my heart for evermore. The occurrence at the lighthouse was au absorb ng topic of conversation. ‘Alary’ and Lily and Airs Revel were all bent on going to see and hear what they could that very night. Airs Wilmoth declared nothing should induce her to go, but she equally protested against the possibility of staying at home alone, and, dinging to her husband’s arm, implored him to remain with her. Wilmotl, a scatter-brained young officer, very fond of his pretty wife, but yet more fond of a ‘ lark,’ answered her with an argument which ought to have been conclusive : ‘ My dearest Ned, if the devil is up at the lighthouse, he can’t he here too, and you’ll be safe as the Bank of England.’ But she would not lie satisfied until John Revel said he was fpiite tired enough after his day’s shooting, and didn’t intend undertaking a five-mile midnight walk for nothing : so lie should bo glad io bo her protector.

The servants had wonderful versions of the talc, and ‘Mary’ told us-her eyes dancing with suppressed fun —liow the ladies’ maid had b sought her with tears not to ‘tempt Providence’ by running into such danger. ‘lt isn’t as though you go to face llosh and bl ;od, ma’am, but spirits !’ We found that rumours of the lighthouse being haunted had been rife for some days past, but the terrific outbreak of the previous night had brought things to a climax, and sent the steward to report matters to Mr Denham, and had also sent many people, still more credulous than he, to implore the priest to come to the rescue. Our din er-party that evening was a merry one. Wilmott, half to tease his wife, half as an outlet to his ouerfiowiug spirits, talked as if smitten with an awful fear of the grim presence which had invaded our island. He made doleful remarks, took affecting farewells, and threw Charley and John Revel into fits of laughter. As for me, my mind was much too full of ‘ Mary’ to have room for fun like that; and Charley, noticing my absent manner at last, declared that he believed I was in a real ‘ funk.’ How little he knew !

It was useless to start before eleven. The lighthouse was about two miles aud a half away, but walk as slowly as we might it could not take us more than an hour to get there, aud the noises were not reported to commence until midnight. The three ladies left us to wrap themselves in such garments as the chilly October night rendered needful, and while we waited for them Wilmott and I strolled out into the garden with our cigars, leaving Charley standing at the door. I heard him talking to some one a minute or two afterwards, and the voice I knew so well replied in cold clear tones : ‘lt is quite unnecessary, I assure you ; Marion has explained all, I am quite satisfied.’

‘ But lam not,’ Charley burst out; * 1 can stand it no longer, and I ’ ‘ Hush !’ Wilmott and I emerged from the faint moonbeams iuto the light which streamed from the open hall-door, and the conversation was abruptly concluded. It would have puzzled me had I thought much about it, but I was so satisfied to find * Mary’ by my side as we started for our walk, and so confident that Charley was following us with Lily Kovel, that I did not care to speculate as to the probable meaning of the words I had chanced to overhear.

Up the rough mountain road we went: the dim light made it necessary for my companion to lean on my arm, as we stumbled amongst the large stones, or picked our way over the rifts which heavy rains made across the way. AYc could hear the heavy surf ‘ploughing’ against the cliffs to the north, and now and then some wild birds would start up from the reeds which skirted the lakes, and go splashing from the shore ; otherwise the night was still enough. I felt very happy, foolishly happy, like a calf in clover unwitting of the halter hanging close by ready to encircle his sleek empty head. ‘ Upon my word,’ said AYilmott, ‘the very place looks ghostly !’

So it did. Before us were the white walls of the lighthouse, and some low cabins, which were built under a broken bluff and chained down with great iron chains, to protect the roofs from the effects of the blast. Beyond these the cliff broke off sheer to the Atlantic, hundreds of feet below ; and over die heathenry hills beside us, and across the wide expanse of Hie ocean directly in front of us, a strange light was moving slowly and weirdly, like a huge spectral wheel. It was the reflection of the revolving lantern on the summit of the lighthouse, fu immure had what in sailor parlance was termed a ‘flashing light,’ caused by alternating opaque and bright sides of the enormous lantern containing the lamps and their regiment of burnished reflectors ; and the shadow of this, thrown widely over laud and sea, caused a novel, almost appalling, effect as we came suddenly out of the narrow defile we had been threading into the open ground around the buildings. (To he continued )