LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 717, 6 October 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE STORY OF BERYL KARR. By Mrs Alexander Fraser. {Continued.) 'That would be a little too much,'Carl replied, trying to smile; but his disappointment was too great for the smile to be anything but forced. Beryl grew more gracious towards the man whose opinion concerning Carl's 'absurd hobby' coincided with her own, and she manifested her appreciation of his wisdom by an affability that surprised Carl, but which took Paul by storm. Her patronage, her petulance, her beauty made a delicious melange that fairly captivated him ; and added to all this was a liveliness that was rare with her.

' You look as though you were the happiest being alive, Miss Karr,' he said, a little vexed even that the girl should be so merry, so well satisfied with her position as Carl's affianced. 'lt is supposed that no one is ever entirely pleased with his lot; but your's must be the exceptional case.' ' You have known me for the space of some seven hours, Mr Lennard; do you usually decide so promply upon people's feelings ? If so, you must possess either exceptional powers of observation, or else an exceptional confidence in your own acuteness,' she answered with a mocking tone. ' I think I can read your feelings in your face,' he said slowly, studying the bright face so vivid with colour, the eyes that flashed with animation. ' You may read but you may not understand !' ' That may be true,' he replied thoughtfully. It does not follow, that because I have read, I have understood; and yet—' He stopped. Somehow he could not pay her glibly the compliments he could other women. ' Yet you cannot help believing that my life is perfect, and that, my happiness is unalloyed,'she laughed bitterly. When you have lived as long as I have, Miss Karr, you will learn that one must be a fool if one believes in unalloyed bliss. I thiuk that you fancy yourself happy ; but if you analysed the matter, you might find you lack one great thing sometimes.' ' And what is that V 'Content.' It was a shrewd guess, and Beryl Hushed as she thought how easily a stranger could divine her. ' Content is a thing which every one lacks,' she answered with coldness. ' All of ua iiud monotony disagreeable ; all of us think that we should like to season our live with a little more spice Colour, zest, perfume some of us lack all things horribly, and probably will lack them to the end.' ' But why ?' he asked her, with a strange sound in his voice that made her turn and look at him. ' There are people bom for a groove ; but surely you are not one of them.'

' How should you know what I was born for'.'' Beryl said curtly. 'I do not wish people to fancy lam dissatisfied. If I were so, 1 should hardly have pledged myself to marry Carl.' ' Aud you think that to live always here will satisfy you in the future as it may have done in the past ?' She laughed again; then her impulsiveness broke out. It was a relief to give vent to her rebellious feelings of the morning to some one.

' Are 'you a magician, Mr Lennard ? and have you the power to spirit me away if I tell you that Pelham Manor is intolerably dull to me ?'

Paul fixed his eyes steadily on her face. They had been talking in a manner alone, for they stood together at one of the windows at some distance from the rest.

'lf you will learn to believe in me, Miss Karr, there is no knowing what I may not have the power to do; but in all ages magicians have required implicit trust.' ' Which I am not of a nature to give,' she told him lightly; and she felt that though such words were pleasant and more spicy than usual, they were encroaching slightly on her position as Carl's future wife. ' Perhaps your nature will alter, and you will trust in me later,' he said quietly. 'At auy rate, do not forget that in this world our lives are what we make them 1' * That is untrue,' she cried scornfully. ' Or if it be true, it is only true of men, and not of women. We are merely creatures of circumstances.' * Only because you do not know how to take advantage of those circumstances,' he said coolly, provoking Beryl, who knew full well how arbitrary the circumstances of her life had been. * You only say so because you may have been exempt from obeying circumstances. I agree with the majority of mankind, who think that to circumstance most of us are perfectly subservient.' ' I don't know about that,' he replied doubtfully. • But Ido know that to circumstances one owes very good turns occasionally ; for instance, that which brought me down here.' 'ln order that you might by some newfangled theory ruin poor Carl's castle of experiments,' the girl remarked, laughing. ' Did I do so ?' and he laughed, not a pleasant laugh by any means. ' His castle will probably be rebuilt, for it is difficult to kill any fancies that a man of his character possesses.' Something in his tone jarred on Beryl, and she did not answer, but stood looking out on the prospect before them. 'lt is beautiful!' Beryl said almost to herself, as she gazed out. ' Most beautiful!' Paul Lennard answered, and an inflection on his voice made her turn round ; then she saw that he was looking, not at the outer world, but at her self.

Carl Pelham, as has been said, was not of a character to give up a ' fancy' easily. The possible annihilation of his ' idea' only goaded him on to a fiercer pursuit of the one science that brought excitement to his tame and colourless life; and a few days after Paul's arrival Carl announced to Beryl that an old wing of the house that was nearly isolated was to be turned into a laboratory.

' Lennard thinks I shall be more at ease there for my experiments,' he added deprecatingly. * More at ease in experiments !' the girl said quickly. ' I thought you were done with such tiresome things, Carl. Since Mr Lennard told you that your cherished idea was impracticable. I fancied you had given up that absurd chemistry.' ' I am afraid not,' Carl answered, a little ashamed of the hobby that his betrothed evidently scorned. ' Lennard has retracted his opinion of my idea. At least he thinks there is a chance for it, and naturally I am anxious to carry it out.' ' A chance for it!' and Beryl could not suppress a certain jarring in her accent. ' Mr Lennard appears to me rather changeable. Of course the experiments are your own affair, Carl; but I confess that I could have no confidence in a man who alters his opinions in so short a time.' ' Beryl, you do not understand,' and Carl resented her sweeping condemnation of the only being who had encouraged him in his daily pursuit. ' Perhaps I don't.' she replied curtly ; for at this moment Paul joined them. ' I have been back again to the wing, Carl,' he said ; ' and I think it will suit us admirably. I should not think many repairs are needed, and the chemical apparatus can be easily moved.' ' It is a capital idea, and I only| wonder that it never struck me before !' Carl exclaimed enthusiastically. 'We must see if the doors ;have proper fastenings ; for if not I shall ride into Towneley for some locks.'

' Is it the transmutation of metals you have in hand ?' asked Beryl, with a contemptuous smile. ' Because, unless it is, you need not fear that any one will care to steal your treasures.' ' But some one might be injured by them,' Carl said seriously. ' Many of the chemicals are deadly. It would be as well to guard agaiust any accident. ' You may be sure that I shall not go near them !' and she left them a little abruptly. The next day Carl, usually so goodnatured and _ chary of saying wounding things, surprised his intended by remarking, ' 1 think, Beryl, you might treat one who is my friend as well as my guest with more courtesy than you do.'

' Have I been uncourteous to this Mr Lennard ?' the girl asked haughtily, vexed at being taken to task. (To be continued.)