LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 660, 1 August 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

EYE-BRIGHT. " You see, Eye-bright, the Olivers arc not going to ask you to their picnic to-morrow. It is not likely an invitation will come now. I greatly wonder at their behavior, but, my dear, it is only what I have been expecting to happen a long time." And Miss Belinda Elton : who was busying herself while she spoke in preparations for tea, within the little parlor of the Lock Cottage : frowned her bushy eyebrows, and felt that her feelings had been so wounded, that to ease her own mind of what was on it, she must have a spar at her niece's gentle, quiescent acceptance of the matter. She was an elderly lady with strongly marked, almost masculine features, sharp, restless grey eyes that were never still except when closed in sleep or bent upon her needle. She was also the possessor of_ a quick, proud temper—under the least infringement of the etiquette or respect she had been accustomed to claim and receive from her equals or inferiors, From the day that Eye-bright had told her the Olivers were organising a picnic to Wayland Smith's Cave (a place made interesting by Sir Walter Scott in his romance of Kenilworth, and situated among the Berkshire downs), she had made up her mind that her dear little niece, whom she loved almost selfishly, and for whose happiness she was very zealous, would be invited. The Olivers had always been so studiously polite, and seemingly anxious to reconcile her to her present habitation, that not a doubt of their sincerity had crossed her mind; and with active pleasure she had set to work and prepared a pretty muslin for Eye-bright to wear on the auspicious occasion.

But Miss Belinda was sadly doomed to be disappointed. Every evening when Eyebright came home from the Manor (a pleasant walk across the fields, where her duties called her as a daily governess to the younger members of Squire Oliver's family), her first words, almost of charming anxiety, were, ' Well, my love, have you been invited V And Eye-bright would answer nonchalantly, ' No, Aunt Linda, I have not.' To-day the question had been put and answered for the last time, and Miss Belinda's recent comment on it remains the appendix to us. Miss Belinda had so buoyed herself up with hope that her impatience had led her, before Eye-bright's return, to spend some time iu watching and loitering at the window and door : a fidgety expectation, which had further induced her in the blazing heat of a July day to step across the lock and stand on the grassy slope that descended to the towpath. There, shading her eyes with her hand, she scanned the marsh and the banks of the canal to see if anyone was coming who looked like a special messenger ; sweeping down, with energetic little flounces of her bombazine dress, the scarlet poppies and clustering bed of bird's-foot trefoil that brightened the short dry grass. She was at length obliged to return to household duties that for once failed in curbing her exasperated feelings: feelings which had been rather more sensitively sharpened since the reverse of fortune had placed them in their present position. Wednesday was a half holiday for Eyebright, and she had come in with a song upon her lips and a happy light in her eyes. To escape Miss Belinda's murmurs she had thrown aside her hat and jacket and sauntered out: so contriving her flitting that her aunt could not exactly accuse her of a disrespectful attention to what she was about to say. That say she was determined to have. While pouring out tea, and glancing up and down at her niece outside, she gave so novel a version of it, that it aroused Eye bright's interest. ' The whole fact of the matter is this, my dear. They have grown jealous of you ever since my dear Sir Constable Beard came down here, and they found that he had known your dear papa so well, and us in our days of prosperity. Their love and friendship for you has been gradually coolin" ; I have marked it, known it child ; although you have never said a word. It is only" human nature, my dear. Yet I thought Mrs Oliver was a woman superior to the petty trifles of earth. Your eccentric notion of burying yourself in this poor cottage to please those people has been an injudicious step, and I deeply regret that I have sanctioned it so long by my presence. The damp of it is killing me ; the isolation from neighbours is an open invitation to tramps and assassins to come across and rob and murder us. I do not intend to

j be snowed up and ice-bound here another winter, my dear. I am going, and I shall take you with me. This romantic foolery must end, Eye-bright. Do you hear me V concluded Miss Belinda, raising her voice into a comically high key. Eye-bright had heard every word of the loudly-delivered discourse. Its sharp logical facts disturbed her while she stood dreaming in the chequered afternoon sunlight, on the terrace that ran before the Lock Cottage; leaning on the wall that was banded and crusted with lichen, and watching in the hollow basin the clear, flashing water-drops forcing through the floodgates, and turning down over the slippery stones in a mimic cascade. Something had ' sweetly crept into the study of her imagination,' and inclined the dimples to sink into the shy depths of her cheeks when Miss Belinda began; but they disappeared when she discovered that all this time she had been martyring the old lady. Now that the brooding truth was out she must dispassionately consider the subject, and not allow the impetuosity of offended pride to hurry them away into doing anything ' foolish;' by which she meant a resignation of her situation, and an exit from the Lock Cottage. On no account would she suffer Miss Belinda 1 s health to be injured by a residence there, if it really affected her, but beyond the colds that most people occasionally suffer from, she had looked upon Miss Belinda's health as robust. After all it was a romantic foolery, as Miss Belinda strongly worded it, for her to live and work as she was doing for people who had discovered themselves to be timeservers ? They had taken a great fancy to her ; her solid accomplishments pleased them, and a charitable motive had actuated them to be kinder and more familiar than perhaps they might have been, had Mr Oliver not been acquainted with her father, who had been the respected and well-connected vicar of a Surrey parish. The salary she received was liberal, and the situation had exactly suited her because it was in the country, and was that of a daily governess. Until now they had been very happy and comfortable, although the place might be a little lonely ; but what of that 1 When the May flies rose and the lishing season began, when the yellow of the butter-cup, and celandine was emptied out over the marsh meadows, and the cuckoo's sweet voice came over hill and dale, and the wild roses blew their foam-tinted petals over the hedges, and the forget-me-nots sprang up from muddy depths, there was life and activity all round. So after all, she could not see that there had been anything so very eccentric or romantic in what she had done. The consideration of 'ways and means' had been most fortunately sought and provided for in a far from disagreeable manner ; and she did not consider herself obliged to see, and resent, the sudden whim that had possessed the Olivers, although she might wonder at it. But Miss Belinda's shrewdness, hitting straight home to the mark, had rightly discovered that the inconstant change had arisen through no other source than Sir Constable Beard. He had come down to Holmby for trout fishing, which caused the little town to be quite celebrated, and had immediately renewed his acquaintance with the Eltons, in whose former parish his home was situated. It was the most natural thing that it should be so, for Miss Belinda had always been a favorite friend of his, and Eye-bright his little pet ever since the time he had nursed her on his knee. The Manor people became assiduous in their attentions to the bachelor baronet, and as often as they could secure him he dined with them, and joined them at croquet. Several boating picnics had taken place which landed Mrs Oliver and the girls in some reedy cove, where the angler was trapped on board to lunch, and constrained to idle away his time with Helen and Mabel, the two elder, and certainly beautiful daughters; but Eye-bright was never with them as she had been, neither did she then care to be. Yet her sweet, lovely face was often shaded by thoughtful preoccupation, that deepened strangely into a sad wistfulness, a wistfulness which had not the slightest reference to Sir Constable. Beit known that 'Eye-bright,' was the pet name of Mary Elton, and it exactly suited her. The large, mobile, hazel eyes were bright and beautiful, clear and soft. When she was very happy they sparkled and laughed in companionship with her sweet, dimpled mouth, a pretty little nose, clear white complexion, and brown hair, that from its wavy thickness shot rich burnished tints. This, combined with her soft playful manner and cultivated mind, made her a lovely little creature, a charming companion. Her amiable disposition was allied to that energy of character and simple common sense that kept her busy and cheerful in her present occupation. The elasticity of her spirits had risen up at Miss Belinda's grievances, and she replied gaily : ' Oh, Aunt Linda, don't go on so ! If I don't fret, why do you ? You mustn't be cross with everything, because one pet scheme has miscarried. I assure you a holiday at home with you will be delightful. You have that charming book to finish reading to me, and in the evening we will go into Holmby and shop. Come, now, Auntie dear, revoke your regrets, and don't think of moving from here—for the present, at least. Indeed, I can't go ; I should not be happy anywhere else.' She turned round and faced the whitewashed cottage that was partly covered by the straggling boughs of an apple tree, whose leaves tumbled over the walls and flapped against the glass windows. The droning of insects and the purring of her large tabby cat, that sat upon the wall winking idly at shoals of flies as they passed, broke the silence of the hour. Her slight, graceful figure, standing beside a cluster of white lilies, whose cool alabaster bells sent forth a sweet heavy perfume, contrasted with her morning dress, and formed a pretty picture. Her lovely face, flushed with the unwonted eagerness of her thoughts, somewhat softened Miss Belinda's asperity, for she had moved over to the window to catch Eye-bright's reply, and stood considering the smiling face and brilliant eyes. ' You are the strangest girl I ever kuew, Eye-bright. To allow those people to monopolise Sir Constable and ignore us ! Have you seen him to-day ?' 'No aunt,' Eye-bright replied, in a very casual tone. ' I think he went with the Olivers to Dane's Court to call after the late party there.' ' Hum ! I suppose so. He really, I believe, admires Mabel Oliver. There will be a match there,' Miss Belinda said, grimly smiling. (To be continued.)