LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 708, 26 September 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

ONE WINTER. f Concluded.) Only once did Luisa try to make friends. It was a wild February day, and they were sitting together in the small salon. Mr Choreley and. the Silvers had gone to visit some mutual friends in Veray. Fatima had stood, for the last twenty minutes at the window looking listlessly out, and listening to the moaning of the wind. Luisa was knitting, and thinking, as she knitted, of a grand ball to be given the coming week. ' Why don't you talk to me ?' she asked of Fatima, looking up for a moment; why are you so very still 1' ' Because I don't know how to begin what I wish to say,' slowly answered Fatima, tapping her foot on the floor as she spoke. ' Is it about the Liedertafel entertainments 1 ' inquired Luisa. ' Oh, no ; not that. You know—no, you do not. Well, the whole of the matter is we are going away day after to-morrow !' Luiaa let her knitting fall, and opened her * forget-me-not' eyes very wide. ' Going away !' she exclaimed, blankly ' surely you do not mean any such dreadful thing ? You cannot mean it, I am sure ?' • Indeed, I do mean it/ said Fatima, in a measured way ; ' we are tired of Geneva. We desire to commence travel again.' Before she had finished speaking Luisa had fallen down at her feet—had clasped her arms about her, and was weeping very sorrowfully. ' Don't go !' she said, ' don't leave me! I have been so happy with you. How can 1 live after you all go ?' ' Bosh !' Fatima ejaculated, good-na-turedly. ' Isn't there that young Kavfinann Singer wishing to marry you, and eager to make you happy and contended ?' ' Yes, so there is,' admitted Luisa, drying her wet eyes ; ' but I do not love him in the least, and never shall.' ' Is there anything else you love 1' Fatima asked, with suspicion in her voice. 'No, answered Luisa. But the answer was not straightforward, and Fatima suspecting a great deal, got up and went over to the window. * I know it is all just as I imagine, thought she, tapping a dull tatoo on the cold panes ; ' I know I am right.' ' Fatima,' said Luisa, coming over to her, and nestling up to the tall figure ; ' I did not speak the truth just then. I felt afraid to speak it.' Fatima listened with bated breath; her face became very pale. Fortunately the early dusk was coming on rapidly, and Luisa did not notice her emotion in the gloaming. ' I felt afraid,' she continued, nestling closer; ' but I do not believe I have any just cause to be so. You do not appear to care so much for him after all. I thought you loved him when I first knew you. You have not spoken graciously to him lately, and perhaps I was only silly to think you ever cared for him in that way. He has told me he loved me. There is no occasion to say how much I love and respect Mr Choreley, is there, dear V Fatima made no reply. How well she knew everything ?now! How horribly true were her suspicions ! Luisa did not care for a reply, so she went on, • And I have indeed been so happy since you came. If you would only linger till spring-time, as you all thought of doing, how I would thank and bless you !' Please stay, Helling ! ' It was dark now, and the long rows of lights along the quay and bridge gleamed brightly through the gloom. Fatima felt she had lived a hundred years since Luisa's confession. ' I cannot stay any longer,' she said; ' it is impossible. The Silvers and I are anxious to 'visit other scenes. Of course, under existing circumstances, I doubt very much Mr Choreley's accompanying us. Now, my dear, I must go and dress for supper. It is already late and the Silvers will soon be back.' As she was about to quit the room, she turned and kissed Luisa, and said—- ' If you mutually love each other in the right way I pray you may be supremely happy together.' Then she went to her room; and innocent Luisa did not even guess that there was anything amiss. But Fatima thought and felt everything in the world had lost its brightness and glory; that everything was wrong and blank, and she wished she had never come to Geneva. She had suspected that Mr Choreley was more than kind to Luisa; but she had never dreamed of its going on as far as it had. She believed that he loved her ; again and again the Silvers had told her of his great admiration. Still, he himself had never once said it. And now it was all over ; and she must go forth and begin the lonely existence anew. He did not care for her; and her dreams about marriage and life with him were simply the airest chateaux en Espagne that were indulged in. Of course, she must see him again, congratulate him, and talk and act as if nothing strange or unusual had happened. After thinking over the whole miserable affair till she was almost ill, Fatima began to get ready for supper. She put on a black silk dress, heavily trimmed with crepe jet jewellery; and for the first time since her father's death took pleasure in the sombre attire. She went down to the salon and found the Silvers there. ' We have not had a very fine time' said Mrs Silver to Fatima. ' It was wretched

out, so cold and dreary. I am tired of winter and of this place. I think I hate Genera.. I shall become melancholy mad if we don't go away. 'Do let us go away—away to beautiful Spain !' • Yes, do let us go from here!' agreed Fatima, addressing Dr Silver; ' I too want some change.' • Why, I am perfectly willing to give you it,' said Dr Silver ; ' but when I proposed it the other day you would not listen to it at all. Where do you wish to go to, my dear ?' 'To Spain ! oh, to Spain!' exclaimed his wife : 'lfwe go now we shall reach Madrid in good season for Nell Willatt's wedding. Ob, do let us go thither, doctor!' Fatima caught the excitement also, and began to urge the point. Presently he agreed to it, providing they would be all prepared to start for Spain on Monday of the coming week. It was Friday now; so there was not long to wait. Mrs Silver and Fatima were delighted, and were soon deep in discussion about the trip. Mr Choreley came in during the hub-bub. • What is the matter ?' he asked of Dr Silver, nodding his head in the direction of the ladies. 'My dear boy,' said Dr Silver, 'we are all going to Spain, Monday evening. Mr Choreley was dumbfounded. ' Going so far !' he ejaculated. * What has made you think of Spain ? ' • A friend of ours is to be married at Madrid,'answered Dr Silver,' 'and we wish to be present at the ceremony.' Mr Choreley said nothing further. He seated himself, and fell into a brown study.' 'I wish I could go, too,'he said, after awhile, 'but I fear I cannot. I haven't enough income with which to rush from one end of the earth to the other. lam very sorry you are going to Spain.' ' Just then supper was announced. During the meal, Dr Silver informed the family of his intention. Fatima avoided Luisa's eyes because she knew their piteous expression, and was afraid to meet it. She felt sorry for her ; but there was no help for what was done. Luisa did not come into the solon after supper as was her custom, and when the Silver's asked for her they were told she had retired, weeping most sorrowfully. Mr Choreley passed a dull evening. Fatima kept close to Mrs Silver, and seemed to have no thought outside of the Spanish trip, and Dr Silver was very much engaged with Harper's Guide. There was no time for conversation. So Mr Choreley sat silent, and fancied they were not so attentive or so kind to him as they were usually. Next morning, after the simple Swiss breakfast was finished, Luisa came down stairs ready dressed for the street, and with a pair of skates over her arm. 'Good morning,' said she, kissing Mrs Silver and Fatima; 'I have come to beg Fatima to go skating with me. The ice is in very good condition to-day, only one part being at all dangerous.' Fatima was fond of skating; she was soon in readiness to go with Luisa. The first person Luisa saw as she stepped on the ice with Fatima was Mr Choreley, skating all by himself. ' There he is !' she whispered blushing ; ' he sees us, and is coming.' Fatima knew too well what Luisa meant by the little pronoun, and would not look. Mr Choreley came up all radiant with smiles. ' We shall have a very pleasant time together,' he said, fastening on Fatima's skates, and looking at Luisa as he spoke ; 'I am glad you came.' Fatima's skates being on, she stood up and glided over the ice, leaving the two together. After making the tour of the pond several times with Luisa, Mr Choreley went at her bidding in search of Fatima. Luisa stood by the thin, dangerous part of the pond where he left her. Her back was -to the sign, and evidently forgetting it and the great danger, she began to skate backwards a little to keep herself warm. Suddenly, just as Mr Choreley reached Fatima, there was aj crashing and groaning of the ice, a loud crash, and a frightened cry. Luisa had fallen in. Mr Choreley, guessing what had happened, left Fatima, and was soon assisting some men in getting the poor girl Jout of the water. It was a difficult matter, for the ice was so thin; but they were successful at last. Luisa was insensible ; her face and hands were dreadfully cut and torn. Mr Choreley took her home in a droshj. Fatima stood by the railings of the fence around the pond, clutching them, like one in a dream, unheeded and forgotten. After awhile a touch on her shoulder aroused her. She looked up and beheld Dr Silver. ' Come to the house,' he said, leading her away; ' poor Luisa is dying, and wants to see you. Mr Choreley is in a fearful way about it. It seems from what he says they loved one another. He has called in the best medical aid ; but it is of no avail. The cold and the cramps will end her.' Fatima could say nothing, and as soon as they reached the pension she hurried to Luisa's room. She was in bed, dying ; and a dark head resting on the bed-quilt was all Fatima saw of Mr Choreley. ' Come close to me, sweet Fatima,' faintly said Luisa ; ' I have sent every one out of the room except Dick. It seems to comfort him to remain. I know you two will remember what I am about to say. I see things more clearly uoav than I did but yesterday. Dear Fatima, you loved Dick before you came here, and he liked you. I pray you two will meet again; I pray you will become man and wife. Now, good-bye Fatima; I thank you for all the happiness you have given me. Good bye ! good bye !' She knelt down and kissed Luisa for the last time; then accepted the dismissal, leaving him with her and Death. ***** It was some years before Fatima and Mr Choreley met again. She and the Silvers were in glorious, romantic Spain, at Viego, a delightful place on the western coast, when they met. Except a settled look and some streaks of white in his dark hair, Mr Choreley was very little changed. He joined their party and travelled with them; and one grand June moonlight night in Andalusia, in one of those wonderful rosegardens, only seen in beautiful Spain, he asked her to marry him. And Fatima said yes.