LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 603, 25 May 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

LOCHVIEW. A TALE IN THREE PARTS. (Continued.) As time passed on, my grand theories about business were gradually fading away. No man could work harder at figures and accounts thai* I did, but they seemed to lead up to no result. I knew there were mysteries and speculations, and bargainings and calculations going on, of which I was kept in complete darkness ; else why all those secret conferences in Sandy Forbes's private T-ooin ? Who were these men with whom he deemed to hold such deep consultations? Were they 'bear. I ?,' or 'bulls,' or 'stags,' or whatever other name they go by ? I wanted to understand all the transactions by which the House of Forbes courted Fortune's smiles. I was not contented with the harmonious working of the machine ,aud its sum-total, but I wanted to dive down to the deeper mysteries, to see the wheels and screws, the axles and cranks, the bolts and nails. Understand me fairly. 1 only sought to know what I then believed to be legitimate. I would have scorned to soil my fingers in any concern that had not strict moral integrity for its basis, or that was not perfectly straightforward and in good faith. When I pressed Mr Forbes to give me a clearer insight into the matter, he would draw into his shell like a timid snail, and grow inscrutable and dark like the oracles of old ; the mora 1 pleaded with him, the more reticent he became.

' Keep you on the safe side, Mr Alec, and don't dive to deep. Not one of your race was ever good at bargains ; and many a man with as good intentions as yun have has been drawn into a vortex that has swallowed up all his gains and his character to boot. Keep you clear of speculations, as you value your peace of mind.' And then Sandy would hurry off to the Exchange, leaving me to my own meditations in the office. I soon found out Mr Forbes was not a happy man. At home, he was a mere cipher, for his ambitious wife--his late employer's widow-hardly took the trouble to conceal her contempt for the little man. She snubbed him on every possible occasion, and her daughters caught the tone from their mother, and snubbed him also.

Mis Cornish had taken a seaside house somewhere beyond New Brighton, and one day she invited us all to join a garden party down there. I made sundry excuses at breakfast, for I did not wish to give up a whole day to pleasure—such indulgence formed no part of my code —but Miss Merritt took me in hand.

'Do come, Mr Allen ; the party won't be complete without you, and every one will be so disappointed.' ' I have some writing I must finish,' urged I. ' Pray, don't let that keep yoii at home, Air Alec ; I'll see to that, and some of the correspondence can stand over,' said Mr Forbes. 80 at last I made a compromise, and promised to join the parly in the afternoon.

Just at the last minute, when I was on the point of starting from the office to keep my engagement, I remembered I had left a letter for my father locked up in my desk at homo ; so I made a detour round by the old square to fetch it. The streets looked half asleep in that .blazing August afternoon ; people had their blinds drawn down to keep out the glare ; and I began to think an hour or two with the cool sea breeze would not lie such an unpleasant change after all. 'Everybody must be gone - even Hester Carew,' thought I, as I made a dart up-stairs in the quiet house. But no ; a soft prelude on the piano made me pause at the drawing room door, and presently a full rich voice burst out with its youthful freshness : Wake, North wind, waken from thy sleep,

And now, with dark sails all outspread, Along the twilight sea we'll sweep, To regions lonely as tlie dead It was the song T heard Carrie Merritt sing the first evening 1 spent in Liverpool, and I listened till the very last note died away like a breath ; then 1 opened the door, and found, as 1 expected, the voice was Hester's.

She gave a little start, rose from the piano, and began gathering up the music. ' Do sing that again, Miss Carew.' ' 1 will, if yon wish,' replied she, seating herself shyly at the piano. As she went on she regained her self-possession, and 1 listened wondering and charmed. Never had I heard snch singing before. ' Thank you very much. What a lovely voice you have. Why do you hide it, Miss Carew ? You ought to sing for us sometimes in the evenings.' exclaimed T, hardly able to conceal my intense satisfaction.

'No one ever asks me to sing in the evenings, and besides, I should hardly have courage to do so, for I've never learned singing.' ' Then how do you manage to get on so well ?'

'l've taught myself; and 1 don't think Carrie would call it 'well' if she heard me stumbling over her songs,' she replied quickly. 'Canie ought to give you lessons.'

Hester shook lur head. ' Carrie wouldn't have time; indeed. I don't think she would like my even meddling with her songs. But it's a great treat to get everybody away, and then give myself lessons. I'm glad you don't think 1 get on m badly.'

1 Badly ! Yon get on heautifu'ly. 1 never thought t!> •' so-iq could be so pretty. Will you try another ?' The sweet girl did not argue the point—a kind of timidity prevented her doing so and she went through song after song as I

I laid them before her on the piano, her tone<* ! ga : ning in expres ion, her voice in cour e t ;.s she went on. I turned over the leaves for her, and when a passage was not cmite perfect, she went over it again, and we sang the words together. How well I remember that afternoon ! The sunlight came slanting through the trees, and fell on her as she sat there, and the golden aud crimson clouds of sunset appeared in the western sky, and were reflected on the mirror opposite the piano while I still stood there, bound by the spell of Hester's voice. As for Mrs Cornish's garden-party, the very recollection of it had vanished ; aud I might have stood there for hours longer, had not most uncongenial sounds recalled me to my senses. I heard Dick Merritt rushing up the stairs, three or four steps at a time : he threw open the drawing-room door with a puzzled and comical look in his eyes.

' Upon my word —duets going on ! Is this the way you usually spend your time in our absence, Mr. Allan ? I really admire your taste very much. -o on, Hester ; sing for me now.' But Miss Carew had already gathered up the music, and was putting it aside. ' Won't jou give me one verse ?' exclaimed he petulantly. ' I'm very tired now, and you must excuse me, she said, slipping out of the room as quickly as possible.

' It's a pity I disturbed you and Hester. Shall I go back aud tell them at New Brighton you were spell-bound here by a siren, and could not get away '!' ' Tell them what you choose. I suppose the party is nearly over now ?'

' Not a 1" all; they're going to have a hop in the evening. Alice made me drive back in the dog-cart to hunt you up. She said -he was sure something dreadful had happened to you, as you didn't keep your word.'

Dick's sneer was hard to bear, but I controlled myself. ' I'm ready now, Merritt. Where's your dog-cart ?' ' Come along, then ; we shall just catch the steamer. The trap's on the Birkenhead side.'

I am bound to say Dick Merritt was a very surlj companion as we drove along that evening. He watched me narrowly, with a keen distrust in his glance, and more than once seemed inclined to quarrel. Evidently he fancied my being with Hester was a planned and concerted affair between us, and he was jealous. Mrs Cornish's country place was called Rocky Mount. When we arrived, outdoor sports were over, and the guests were trooping in to tea. Only a few were still lingering oi\t of doors in the Boft moonlight, and amongst them were Alice Merritt and two or three other girls. 'Go and fetch them in, Mr. Allen. You'll be sure to find them soon ; for our whole place garden, grounds, and walks —do not cover an acre of land,' cried Mrs Cornish.

Nothing loth to get a ramble in the cool fresh air, I darted off, and soon found myself on the top of a sloping mound, on which some ambitious person had erected a small tower and planted a flag-staff. From this was a capital view of the sea, which the full moon had silvered and flooded with her silver light. The soft breeze came in over the waters laden with freshness, and I flung myself down on the soft turf beside the flagstaff, and watched the scene with a quiet happiness almost new to me. Need I say I had forgotten my mission out there, and had began to dream sweet, foolish, waking dreams about Hester. What they were, I need not recount ; most people have had such dreams in their 'lives. Ere long, I heard vc ices on the other side of the tower, and some words fell distinctly on my ear. My name was mentioned, and Alice Merritt was the one who spoke. ' No, n); I am not yet engaged to Alec Allen, but we quite understand each other.'

' His father is a baronet, isn't he ?' said mother voice.

' 0 yes ; Alee will have the title sonic clay, .'or he is the son and heir.'

'So you will be Lady Allen. Oh, Alice, won't that be nice ? How I envy you !' 1 daresay I ought to have warned the young ladies to defer their conlideuces, as I was within hearing ; but I was spell bound at being disposed of so summarily, aud with a muttered, ' Will she be Lady Allei ? —Not if 1 know it,' I heard the next question : 'ls Alec handsome ? You know 1 haven't seen him yet. Carrie says he's quite the reverse.' ' < 'arrie's a goose. I like his style of face —it's refined and classical ; and he's quite a gentleman.' ' Is lie clever ?' ' Well, I never noticed any deficiency, but Dick says he isn't ; and he can gauge mental calibre better than I can.' (I muttered something else just then, rob complimentary to Dick.) ' But what about Willy Dykes, Alice ? Poor fellow! he won't like to be jilted?' asked the voice. ' 1 must break it to him by degrees. He won't be back from New York for six mouths yet, so, there will be plenty of time.' ' I don't think you'll ever love Alec as you did poor Willy.' ' Perhaps not, if it comes to that. But, there, my days of romance are over, and I can't wait for ever for Willy ; 1 must take a good chance when I get it.' There was a pause for a moment or two, and then Alice said in a subdued voice, and wibli a little sigh : ' Come, Maude, let's go iu. I feel so cold and shivery, you can't think ; just as if some one was standing on my grave.' ' Thiukiug of poor Willy perhaps ':' suggested her friend. Then the voices grew fainter and fainter, as the girls went slowly down the winding path from the tower. I did not follow them ; Init poudered nu what I had heard. So Alice had wileed to be my wife, had slip t Old Janet's warnings were turning out a true prophecy after all, and Miss Merritt was goiu" to many me for the sake of the title that might be mine some day * My eys were open at last, and i becam painfully conscious that all along I had been giving Alice some ground for her expectation*. ■ shuddered to remember that many a • :>■ might have been misled by the tacit acquiescence I had given to all her plans for rue. Often and often her name had been coupled with min", aud In< v.;r cared. At concerts, and dinners, and parties, we had always be-n <*< ■'■■ down together, and people had looked on smilingly, thinking, no doubt, ou.' engagement was a settled thing. (To be continued.)