LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 605, 27 May 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

LOCHVIEW. A TALK IX THEE I'AKTS. ( Continued .) ‘ Are you ill, Mr Forbes ?’ ‘No ; it’s just that spasm at my heart again ; ’twid be gone presently.’ He sat quiet for a minute, then he turned over his papers nervously. ‘ There, I’m all right now. Of course ours is a paying concern. You surely cannot doubt it?’ I did not doubt it, and so I told him ; and for an hour or more I sat there while he talked of his monetary transactions, and partially enlightened me about his mode of action.

My letter went off to Sir Dugald ; and I determined, as soon as the answer came, I would change my residence. Now that some of the hidden workings of the family tactics were revealed to me, f had grown quite uncomfortable, and I wished to be away from Alice and her mother and all their machinations. The next morning, when I was rambling about the garden as usual, waiting for breakfast, 1 saw a little hooded figure dart down the side-path, and half hide itself behind a tree. It was Hester Carcw.

‘ Is it true,’ she anxiously inquired, ‘that Mr. Forbes has asked you to be her partner ?’ ‘ Ves ; and I have written to my father for his consent.’

‘ Have nothing to do with it till you have inquired into his affairs. The night before last I overheard him tell Mrs Forbes he was on the brink of ruin ; and she urged him to draw you into it. She said your name might keep off the blow a little longer ; that it was his only chance. ’ ‘ Are you quite certain of that ?’ ‘Yes ; and I thought it such a pity. You could not.save poor Mr Forbes from misfortune, and would only bring ruin and disgrace on yourself.’ ‘ That I should, and on my father too. Instead of helping him, I should have heaped up misery on his head. lam so glad you have told me this, Miss Carcw.’ ‘ I could not help it. It seemed such a terrible wrong to you ; so unkind, so wicked !’

‘My dear girl, I shall never forget the service you have done me—never’ 1 would have said much more ; but Hester did not wait for thanks, she was already drawing her hood over her head, and with a quick glance of her liquid brown eyes, so tender, so truthful, she darted away over the grass, the faded leaves rustling as she went.

The next day, the expected letter from my father came, and he, in his own trustful manner, told me to use my own judgment ; and if going into partnership with Mr. Forbes would aid my interest, he gave his full consent to the step. But for Hester’s timely whisper, 1 should have hailed this letter with satisfaction, and gone blindly on bo ray doom. Now, I was rejoiced it was not too late to withdraw from the proposed arrangements, which I accordingly did. As I was endeavouring to cut out some new and less hazardous business connection, an invitation reached me that I resolved to accept. It came from Mrs Stephen Grey, and was inclosed in a letter from my cousin Jessie. 1 have not mentioned the latter lately, but she had found Harry Weston a more than sufficient substitute for me, and they had been married about three months. They were now on a visit to Mrs Stephen Grey’s hospitable mansion, a few miles from Chester, and they wanted me to join them, and spend the Christmas there ; so I set off at once, hoping to recover from my disappointment and annoyance and everything else. Jessie was as merry as ever, and ten times as happy. It was a treat to sec her with her husband. Big fellow as Harry Western was, she led him about at her will.

It was while I was staying at this house, the grand crash fell on poor Sandy Forbes. 1 he crisis had come, and he lied to escape the irate creditors. Many people were astonished at his failure, for he was supposed to he very rich ; and no doubt at one time he had made a tolerable fortune. But i mania for reek e<s speculation had haunted him as fatally as a gambler’s infatuation. He had gone on from bad to woise, forsaking the true, honest path, and plunging into .vi d and shady courses. I heard Mrs Forbes and her family had gone to Boulogne. She had a good settlement from her former

husband ; so poor Sandy’s fall did not drag her and the girls down to misery also. I concluded Hester Carew had gone with them ; and though there seemed but little chance of our meeting again, I did not forget her ; 1 never could do that. * * * *

Shortlj after raj' visit to Mrs Gray had terminated, I found myself once more in Liverpool, and sallying forth to have a look at the house, still dear to me, for Hester’s •sake. It was shut up. I expected that; but I lingered about, looking up at the windows, and thinking already the touch of misfortune had made a great change in its appearance. Presently, to my surprise, the door opened, and Mrs Wills, the old housekeeper, came out with her shawl and bonnet on.

‘ Oh, Mr Allen, sir, I’m so glad you've come. Do come in sir, please.’ ‘ I thought everybody was gone away, Mrs Willis ?

‘ No ; poor Miss Carew is still here, and she’s just breaking her heart, poor thing !’ ‘ Left behind ! Why ?.’

‘Well,, sir, the master went off to the countr* all of a sudden, and then the mistress and the young ladies went, an I then the servants ; and poor M iss Carew was left behind.’

‘ Is she alone in that great house ?’ ‘ No, sir ; I stops with her. I wouldn’t leave the poor dear. And —and - the bail.fls is there in possession.’ ‘ May 1 go in and see Miss Carew ?’ ‘ I’m sure she’ll be right glad to see a face she knows, sir. It was cruel hard to go away and leave her like that Come in sir, do.’

Mrs Wills opened the door a little bit, and we went in together. How dismal the place looked ! The hall was littered with remains of packing, as though Mrs Forbes had taken away her boxes in a hurry ; doors were locked, windows closed,(cupboards and closets sealed up, and a couple of ill-looking men were stalking about. They ej’ed me with suspicion, and seemed about to order me out again ; but when I said I had called to see Miss Carew, they sulkily pointed upstairs.

‘She’s in the hack drawring rco.n, sir,’ quietly said Mrs Wills, ‘ Ay, and she’ll have to clear out of it tomorrow, and so will you too,’ muttered one of the men.

The large room looked chill and deserted, with its bare, tireless grate, and its tables and Avails stripped of every picture and ornament. Hester Avas sitting beside a little table near the AvindoAV, and before her were several letters. She started up Avith surprise Avhcn she saw me, and held out her hands.

‘ I’m sorry to see you here under such circumstances, Miss Carew.’ ‘ Yes ; isn’t it all A T ery sad ? I am trying to get a situation as nursery governess at Mrs West’s, said she, looking at the letters. Her lip quivered as she spoke. Going out'to seek her way in the world must have seemed a bitter trial to one of her timid nature.

‘ Did Mrs Forbes purposely leave you like ;liis V

‘ Yes ; she Avent aAvay a Aveekago, and told me 1 must earn my oavu living now. Oh, that I Avere av ell educated and cleA r er; but I can do so little. ’

‘ It was very cruel of Mrs Forbes,’ said I bitterly. ‘ And yet I think she would have taken me; but Alice would not hear of it. I can’t think why Alice was so bitter against me. ’

I could, though, but I did not say so then.

‘ Was Carrie averse to your going with them ?’

‘ I don’t think she cared one way or another. Carrie was kind even—she -came back, and kissed me, and wished me “ good bye,” and gave me some money out of her purse. ’

‘ I am glad of that ; I always thought there was soiue good nature in Carrie. And so you’ve been here ever since ?’ ‘ A whole week now ; and I’ve been trying so much to get a situation. I feel I’m only here on sufferance, and it’s dreadful to see those two men about the house.’

‘ 1 hope they have been civil to you ?’ ‘ I keep out of their sight, and Mrs Wills hardly ever goes out, or leaves me. ’ Fain would I have pressed the poor trembling, lonely girl to my heart, and there and then have poured out the whole tale of my long hidden affection for her ; but with an effort, I restrained myself. Not for worlds would I have startled her with such demonstrativeness then, as she thus told her sorrows as to a brother. (To he continued)