LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 655, 26 July 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A SLIGHT FLIRTATION. (Continued.) ' And there's dear Dr Bodmin,'continued Georgie, shaking hands with him warmly. ' This is delightful ! It seems as if it was only yesterday when we parted in this room; and yet I have been away six months.' • My dear child, I am delighted to have you back,' said Mr Maldon affectionately ; • but,' he added, in his judge-and-jury tones, ' I must ask you what this means ? I was just telling Dr Bodmin that you were cruising in the Mediterranean.' 'So we were,' replied Georgie; 'but we touched at Genoa, and there our friends found letters summoning them back to England on important business ; and I was just going to telegraph to you that I was coming back, when I thought it would be so much nicer to pop in upon you unexpectedly.' ' Oh, very much nicer !' said Bodmin ; and he added inwardly, ' for there will be a nice row. I think I had better go.' ' My darling Georgie ?' cried Eosie, folding her sister in her arms again; how delightful it is to have you at home once more. And how much better you are looking !' ' Much better, and much stronger,' said Mr Maldon. ' Why, what a lovely colour you have got! You look brimful of health aud strength. Come, Doctor, what do you say ?' Dr Bodmin had been gazing attentively at Georgio's face ; but he did not see health and strength in that beautiful, but fatal flush. Still he answered cheerfully : ' Oh, I'll talk to Miss Georgie by-aud-by, when she has recovered from the fatigues of the journey. I'll look in again by-and-by. Good-bye for the present.' And the Doctor left the room and the house, saying to himself as he walked down the drive, * A slight flirtation! Heaven forgive you, Armidale, if she doesn't think so too.' Mr Maldon shortly left the two sisters alone, and they sat down side by side on the sofa, and began to have a good gossip. They talked about all sorts of things which do not need any particular mention in this record : the troubles that Eosie had had in dealing with the difficulties of the servants' hall—for ever since Mrs Maldon's death, some five years previously, Eosie had acted housekeeper with considerable success; the way in which the ceremonial proclivities of the parson had annoyed papa, who was perpetually cross-examining his pastor as to his authority for his ' innovations'; the sad decease and burial of Georgie's favorite! mare, and so forth ; and nothing particularly

Interesting to the present reader occurred till Georgia asked after certain twelve old women in the almshouses. ' Oh, they are as well as can be expected, considering their age,' replied Rosie. «"Wo took all sorts of good things to them yesterday, Mr Armidale and I.' Unnoticed by Rosie, whose head was drooping upon Georgie's shoulder, the brilliant flush upon the elder sister's cheek came and went with terrible rapidity; but she said calmly : 'Mr Armidale! Is he residing near here ?' 1 Why, don't you know ? Oh, no ! you have told me that the yacht did not put in at Leghorn, and therefore you never got our letters. Mr Armidale is staying here in the house.' •In this £[house V Qustion put incredulously. 1 Yes; we have seen a good deal of him since he first called upon us with news of you. Papa took a great fancy to him, and at last insisted upon his coming to stop with us. He has been here for more than a fortnight. Tell me, Georgie, what do you think of him?' 'I ? Oh 1 as I told you when I first mentioned him in a letter, I thought him very agreeable and amusing.' ' You thought him a little better than the ordinary kind of man one usually meets in society V • Well—yes—perhaps I did,' assented Georgie, a happy light beaming in her eyes, which Rosie did not see. ' Oh, lam so glad of that! I have been longing to hear that you really liked him. He is dreadfully idle, I know, but he's very nice.' And Rosie's head nestled down on Georgie's bosom. ' I don't mind telling my little Rosie that I like him very much indeed. Has he spoken about me often V 'Oh yes, Georgio, darling. He said he was so charmed with you, it is his greatest happiness to have met you, and to know us all. Oh, Georgie! do you think he would make a good husband ?' ' I am sure he would !' responded Georgie enthusiastically. • Then I'll tell you a great secret, darling. He wants to marry me.' ' Wants to marry you!' exclaimed Georgie, starting up. • I don't wonder you are astonished,' answered Rosie. ' Fancy anybody wanting to marry me ! I couldn't have believed it, I haven't accepted him yet j but as you and papa like him so much, I think I shall.' The elder sister fell back, half-fainting on the sof». Rosie threw her arms round her, and exclaimed : ' Oh, Georgie! Georgie ! how silly of me to excite you so, when I know you must be so tired. Happiness makes one selfish. Shall I ring for some wine ?' 'No, no,' answered Georgie, recovering herself with effort; • but lam very tired—travelling all night—and am not so very strong yet, after all. I think I had better go and rest. See about my room, dear, will you ? I will go and lie down for a little.' • Your room shall be as pretty-and comfortable as a little Paradise,' said Rosie, kissing her. ' I will have everything ready in ten minutes.' And Rosie ran out of the room, blind to everything fixcept her own happy thoughts. Poor Georgie lay back upon the sofa, and tears started into those large eyes. The bright colour no longer suffused her cheeks ; a deathlike pallor spread over her countenance, and she lay there still as one for whom life has no longer any hopes. After his interview with Dr Bodmin, Mr Arthur Armidale endeavoured to soothe hia disturbed feelings by means of a cigar in the garden. All unconscious of what was occuring in his absence from the drawing room, he determined, in the secluded summer house, to bring Rosie to the point without any further delay ; so he returned to the open windows of the drawing room, and seeing what he imagined to be Ro3ie reclining on the sofa, he threw away hia cigar, entered abruptly, and said : • Rosie, forgive me for intruding upon you again so soon, but I must speak seriously.' Naturally he started backward in extreme confusion as Georgie jumped up quickly from the sofa, and looked him full in the face. • Miss Maldon !'

Georgie burst into a strange fit of laughter, and her voice seemed to have lost its music as she returned: ' Ah, Mr Armidale, how astonished you seem to be to find me, just when you wanted to speak seriously to Eosie. Oh, pray don't look so dumbfoundered. Tam no ghost, I assure you ; and I am delighted to see you again.' She held out her hand. He took it in an embarrassed manner, and did not hold it long. He said : • I own to being startled, Miss Maldon. I had no idea you had returned. When did you come back ?' ' Oh, about ten minutes ago. How delightful it is to be at home again. And so nice to find you here. Eosie often mentioned you in her letters, and I am charmed to find that you get on so well together. You are staying here, I find. What gossips we can have about Roman society.' ' A very pleasant winter, was it not ?' stammered Armidale, hardly knowing what to make of Miss Maldon's manner. 'Most pleasant,' replied Georgie readily. ' But you irissed the best part of it. You left before Easter, and after that we had the best balls, and such exquisite riding parties in the Campagna. Indeed, I think it was much nicer after you had gone.' ' I was very sorry that I could not stop longer, replied Arthur, more at his ease. His mind was relieved ; she evidently could not have missed him much. Ho added : ' But we had some very nice dances whilst I was thei e, Miss Maldon ; and.some charming rides.' • Ah, yes, a few,' said Georgie carelessly. ' But did we ride together ? I had forgotten.' • Two or three times a week, I think.' 'To be sure ;so we did. But you left very abruptly, if I remember right. You were very anxious to know papa, now I think of it. I hope you have found him agreeable.' «We are excellent friends, Miss Maldon, I assure you.' ' And you like Eosie, too ? I think I told you you would like them both. Was I not right V ' Quite right, Miss Maldon.' •So right,' continued Georgie archly, ' that you want to speak to Eosie seriously, eh, eh, Mr Armidale V To be continued.