LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 674, 17 August 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

WHY ARE YOU WANDERING HERE, I PRAY. (Continued.) The soft wind was intoxicating in its freshness and elasticity ; heather and furze, in the zenith of their bloom, made the plain a glory of color, toned into exfjuisite harmony by the bracken, whose tender green had not yet become ‘hard.’ Here and there lay tiny lakelets, born of the recent rain, which had left great patches of common still under water, shone golden in the morning sun. Every leaf and spray and frond was a manifold prism, reflecting a thousand rainbow tints, and everywhere about generations of picturesque forest ponies—mothers, daughters, and straddling grand-daughter — were eagerly nibbling at such short grass as they could find. The grand-daughter, with long, gracefully ungraceful, delightful legs, seemingly too weak to support her queer, rough, shaggy body, would canter off unsteadily on little exploring expeditions of her own, till a soft winny from her more sober mother would bring, her shambling back to the bosom of her family. ‘ And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very,’ rose to Georgie’s mind, as she stood bareheaded, drinking in the delicious freshness, bathed in the odours of that glorious time and place. While she was standing in a halo of sunshine, she saw a figure coming to her across the plain, in the many-colored morning fight, and a face that she had seen in her dreams. To her infinite surprise, in spite of her dreams, her chief sensation now was a desire to run away, to hide herself any-where-from those poetic-looking eyes, and this in spite of her yet-far-from-satisfied curiosity about her father. Ashamed of the feeling, and unaware, notwithstanding her scientific training, that it was probably a survival of the old days of wife-hunting and bride-chasing, she conquered, and stood her ground like a woman. Indeed, under the circumstances escape would not have been easy. Unless she had crept under a dwarf holly bush or hidden behind a fern-leaf, she could not well, on that open plain, have avoided observation. A smile of glad recognition was on Philip’s face as he came rapidly towards her, raising his hat and holding out his hand. ‘ I was thinking of you,’ he said, with direct simplicity, ‘ when I suddenly saw you standing here. Yon may imagine that I lost no time in coming across to you. I’m delighted to see you again so soon; for though I was certainly coming to call, I suppose I could hardly have done so before the afternoon, could 1 ? I shall call all the same, of course. Have you prepared yom uncle for the meeting He was holding her hand ‘ just a little longer,’ looking with tender admiration at the graceful head and delicately noble features. It took but a few minutes to make him acquainted with the whole state of affairs at the Lodge, with her uncle’s question, her own answer and consequent remorse.

The recital amused him infinitely. * Why poppies of all flowers ?’ he asked laughing. ‘ uh, because I am so fond of them, she answered naively; * with their lovaly red leaves and black stamens, they are so beautiful ! And I thought of you in your red uniform, and with your jet black hair. 1 should so like to see you in your uniform !’

*So you shall at the ball. I was very savage at having to wear it—thought it such, a bore—and o nly consented because Edith scolded me into it.’

‘ Who is Edith ?’ asked Goorgie quickly. ‘My sister. She keeps me in trimming order, I can tell you, and lectured me no end about masculine laziness and selfishness ; till, for peace sake, I consented to dress for the ball. And now’—with a gay smile—' you see the happy result, and virtue meets with its proper reward.’ * How ?’ asked Georgie, inexperienced in the language of compliment. ‘ You say you wish to see me in my uniform.’

‘ Oh!’ with which monosyllable Miss Verschoyle blushed, she did not know why ; and Colonel Verschoyle thought her all the more lovely for doing so. ‘ I should like to see you, certainly. I think you would look so handsome ; only I should’t like you to be troubled or bored.’ A heart of stone must have melted at this too-innocent flattery; and Philip’s, which was not adamantine, straightway fell into an absolute state of solution within his bosom.

* Nothing that gives you the least pleasure could possibly bore me,’ he answered, with sudden tenderness; * I would do any mortal thing in the world to please you.’ Then, after a pause, ‘lf I were to adopt your plan, and compare my friends to flowers, I know what I should call you.’ ‘ What ?’ curiously. ‘ I never thought of giving myself a name.’ ‘ Traveller’s Joy. I came here, expecting nothing particular, because Edith insisted; but now, since I have met you, everything is changed. So you see the name is very appropriate, and I think the flower lovely. Do you approve of my comparison ?’ * It is a very pretty idea,’ she said shyly, and looking down. ‘ I shall think of you now when I see Traveller’s Joy.’

‘You will think of me sometimes, I hope without seeing it,’ quickly. * I shall indeed. It would be odd if I didn’t. You have made me happier than ever I was before in my life; in fact, I shall think of you so mu jh, that I hardly know what I shall do when you go away.’ He looked-at her wistfully for a second or two.

‘ I’m not going away yet. I have to see your uncle George first, you know.’ They had set down on a trunk of a felled tree on the edge of the forest, while out of the sky above them came that flood of music,

* like an embodied joy, whose race is just begun.’ * Higher still and higher From the earth thou springest Like a cloud of fire, The deep blue thou wingest; And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.’ quoted Philip ; and Georgie listened entranced.

* I do wonder what they sing about,’ she arid at Tad;.

* Ah, Shelley’s question ; but he found no answer.’

‘ I come here morning after morning, and seem fresher and more joyous every day. Is it just delight in the beauty of the world, the sunshine, and the air, such as I felt myself to-day when I came out, only I couldn’t sing to express it ?’ ‘ Just that, perhaps; or Wordsworth’s “ instinct more divine,” it may be.’

For some time they sat listening in delicious silence ; then Philip suddenly taking out his watch:

* By Jove, they will wonder what has become of me. Breakfast must be over long ago. They will think I’ve got into the bog again.’ ‘ Breakfast ? Do you mean to say you came out without any breakfast ?’ * I mean that same, Miss Verschoyle.’ ‘ And sha’n’t you get any when you go home ?’ ‘ I have no doubt I should if I asked for it.’

* And sha’n’t you ask ?’ ‘ No, because I am not going home yet.’ * Where are you going then ?’ ‘To stay here with you if you will let me.’ ‘ Of course I will let you ; only you musn’t go without your breakfast—that would be enjoying myself at your expense. I should like to ask you home, but uncle George might be disagreeable.’ ‘ Fray don’t distress yourself. I wish I hadn’t said anything about it. If you only knew how often I have gone without breakfast for far less reason than this I What is breakfast in comparison with the pleasure of being with you.’ * All the same, breakfast is a sad necessity of that imperious nature of ours,’ she said laughing. * Stay ; I know what I will do,’ rising. He laid a detaining hand on her arm. ‘ You shall do nothing but ait still.’ * Promise me not to move till I come back; and shaking off his grasp she was away down a narrow path into the forest, and out of sight before he could stop her. Almost ere he had realised that she was gone, he saw her coming through the trees again, a brass-bound milk-tin in one hand, and a basket in the other. ‘ Now that is Jboo bad,’ he said, rising to meet her. ‘ Where did you get it 2 Have you a hermit’s store in the fores t ? .* Yes ; Mattie is the hermit, and I have a short way to her from here, known only to myself. I creep through the hollies and get to her in three minutes, while by the regular path it is ever so far. And now see. How lucky it is. I remembered that Mattie baked this morning’—opening her basket and displaying a fresh crisp loaf and a pat of delicious looking butter— ‘ and I think our Alderney must give the best milk in the world, it is so good. Can you drink milk ?’ {To he continued.)