LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 781, 21 December 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

TINY’S LOVERS. ( Concluded ,) Here the thoughts about the safety of the boat recurred to him, and, in a state of nervous fidget, he took a lorgnette from its case on the wall, and went into the diningroom, where he soon made out the party on the mere —distant quite a couple of miles now, and a tiny white puff of smoke told that the sport had commenced, though with what fortune he could not detect. He stood watching them for half an hour, when they passed round a curve in the lake, and he saw them no more. * I shall have to go,’ he muttered, as he went back to replace the lorgnette. ‘I might have finished what I wanted to read, and gone to join them, rowing myself in the skiff. I will, too, ’ he said. * Suppose I ring for the keeper, and get a gun. No ; the very thing ; I’ve gone out to try for pike. ’ He rang the bell, and asked for the second keeper ; and in half an hour, with the man to scull him about, he was fishing in the lake, and each minute lessening the distance between him and the shooting-party. As it happened, his sole wish was to approach the other boat with a good excuse on his lips; the fishing was a secondary consideration ; but fate willed that he was to have excellent sport, and he was delayed three tfines to master and capture a goodly pike. ‘They bes a-running well to-day, sir,’ said the keeper. ‘ We’ll go on to the deep water, where they’re shooting—the big ones lie out there.’ Saying which, the man rowed out in the specified direction; and again Lawler was detained, for a monster pike seized his bait, and though he played him badly, in the hope the prey would escape, fortune was for the taking of the fish, which was gaffed at last, and hauled in triumph to the boat,

‘ Row straight over to the other boat now,’ said Lawler. * Hadn’t you better have another throw in, sir ?’ said the keeper. * No; I am tired of it now,’ said Lawler; and in disgust at the want of appreciation of sport on the part of his master’s guest, the keeper rowed steadily after the shooting party. Twice over the reports of the guns told of sport, and when within three or four hundred yards, Lawler saw Captain Barry rise up and fire at a heron, which was lazily sailing by, and the bird fell, to go flapping along the water towards a reed-bed farther on. The keeper with Lawler turned and looked as he rowed on, and then said quietly, ‘I s’pose Jem Myers knows about them there posties ?’ ‘ About what posts ?’ said Lawler. ‘ Them posties just below the water, sir ; he might overset the boat if he rowed atop o’ one on ’em.’ ‘But I thought it was all deep water there.’ ‘ So it is, sir; but the folks as was here before the admiral, sir, had what they called a pagody, sir—a Chinee summer-house, out in the lake ; and when it got old and rotten, it was took down ; but they couldn’t pull up the big timber posties it was built on, and there’s two or three left now.’ ‘ Pull on, then, quickly,’ cried Lawler, and let’s warn them.’ ‘ All right, sir; they ain’t near ’em yet. And it’s a rare good spot for perch, that is. You come along o’ me some morning, sir, and I’ll row you over here, and’ ‘ Pull, man, for Heaven’s sake ! ’ cried Lawler impatiently. * Here, let me take one of the sculls.’ * Can’t, sir; there’s only one pair of rowlocks. I’ll be with ’em soon,’ They were now about a couple of hundred yards off; and, at Lawler’s instigation, the keeper with him turned and shouted a warning : * Mind them there posties, Jem ! ’ ‘ Hey ? ’ was shouted back. * Mind them posties ! ’ ‘No posties here,’ was the reply; and then, with the keeper pulling one oar, and Captain Barry the other, and a pretty good • way ’ on, the broad flat-bottomed boat was seen suddenly to glide up on one side, as if it was being lifted, and overturn, while those who followed were still a hundred and fifty yards away. * Row ! ’ cried Lawler hoarsely, ‘ or we shall be too late; ’ and he quickly took his place in the fore-part of the boat. As the man tugged at the sculls, the little skiff flew through the water. As Lawler stood, divesting himself of coat, vest, and boots, he saw the capsized boat floating gently away, urged by the brisk breeze, Captain Lonsdale clinging to the bottom, and shrieking for for help ; and Captain Barry and the keeper, Myers, swimming easily, and evidently in search of that for which his eyes were sweeping the water. ‘ Can’t you see miss, sir ? ’ said the keeper hoarsely, as he tugged at the oars, and sent the skiff nearer. ‘No,’ groaned Lawler. ‘She went over with the boat, and it must have struck her ; she hasn’t risen since. ’ As the words left his lips he was now so near that he left the boat with a spring, parted the water with joined hands, disappeared, and rose to the surface again, paddling and looking in all directions. ‘ Somewhere about there, Lawler,’ shouted Captain Barry; and the young man gathered himself up, turned over, and dived. ‘ Here, help ! Boat, boat 1 ’ roared Captain Lonsdale. ‘Oh, you’re all right, sir,’ growled the keeper in the skiff’, standing up and thrust ing down a boat-hook, to see if he could catch the girl’s dress. ‘Try more to the right,’ cried Captain Barry ; and the man plunged the hook in again up to his shoulder, and again and again without success. ‘Want help, mate?’ said the keeper to Myers. ‘No,’ was panted out. ‘I could swim for a week. ’ ‘ Like to get in, sir ? ’ said the keeper, this time to Captain Barry. ‘No, no, man; I’m all right. But for any sake, keep that boat-hook going.’ ‘ Help, here ! I can’t hold on ! ’ cried Captain Lonsdale. ‘ Then let go, ’ growled the keeper, plying hard with the boat-hook in every direction, while Lawler came up to the surface, and dived again and again, though his stay below was shorter each time. The last time he came up his face was blue, and there was a terrible look of despair upon it, as he -placed one arm over the side of the skiff and hung there panting. ‘You’re good as done, Lawler,’ said Captain Barry, swimming up to him. ‘ Get into the boat, man.—Pull him in, Smith.’ The man made as if to seize him, but Lawler warned him off. ‘ Hadn’t we best get the drags, sir ? ’ said Myers, placing his arm over the gunwale. ‘ Here, help ! Are you men ? ’ shouted Captain Lonsdale. ‘ Bring the boat here ; don’t leave me to drown.’ As he crawled on to the flat bottom of the capsized boat, and was only in danger of catching a very bad cold, no one stirred, but one blank face was directed at another, till, with a hoarse cry that was hardly human, Lawler suddenly thrust himself from the skiff, turned, and swam hard for the capsized boat. ‘ Where’s he going ? ’ cried Captain Barry. ‘ Good heavens ! that I should have lived to see such a day ! ’ ‘To join the captain, sir,’ said Myers. ‘ 0 sir, let’s go and get the drags ! ’ ‘ No, no; he means somethin", cried Captain Barry excitedly. ‘Yes, I see. Row after us ; ’ and he loosened his hold, and swam after the other, just as, when near the boat, Lawler raised himself well in the water, turned over, dived, and disappeared beneath the boat. A dozen seconds of agony followed, and as the skiff was rowed close up, and the captain rose, feeling that it was for his reception, the second keeper groaned, and said in a husky voice: ‘The brave young chap’s gone too, ’ But as the words left hisjlips, Lawyer's head shot up on the other side, and with him rose the body of Tiny Murray. ‘ Quick ! ’ shouted Lawler, beating the water ; ‘ her dress is caught underneath.’ In less than a minute, the skiff was round, and Tiny dragged in by the keeper; but he had to uso his knife to cut her dress, which was hitched in some hook inside the boat. The act of dislodging this rocked the big boat so that Captain Lonsdale grew terribly alarmed for his own safety, and shouted twice in agony. ‘ Now, then 1 ’ cried Captain Barry to the second keeper, as he laid the inanimate body

in the stern of the boat; * row, man, back to the Hall, for your life—and hers. 5 ‘ What! and leave you gentlemen ? 5 said the man. ‘Yes, of course,’ cried the sailor, passing an arm under Lawler, who was quite exhausted, ‘ Row for your life ! Tell them that bath—doctor ! 5 he shouted ; but the boat was already surging through the water, as the man bent to his task. ‘ Stop that boat! 5 shrieked Lonsdale. ‘ Are you going to leave me to drown ? 5 ‘No, sir,’ growled Myers, crawling on to the bottom, and nearly dislodging the captain. ‘We’re agoing to drown all along withyer. Here you are, sir,’he continued, stretching out his hand ; and with his help, Lawler, blue and exhausted, was dragged on to the bottom of the boat, where Captain Barry soon joined them, with the result that the punt was sunk almost entirely out of sight, and its freight in momentary danger of being floated off. ‘ It’s worse than murder, 5 groaned Captain Lonsdale, clutching convulsively at Myers, ‘ Ever so much, sir,’ said the man dryly. ‘ Hadn’t you better give me the tip as you meant, afore it’s all over ? ’ Lonsdale glared at the keeper; but his aspect, with his wet hair and whiskers, was so far from impressive, that the man was not much moved. Until the skiff was out of sight, very little was said, and by that time Lawler was somewhat recovered, but he lay on the boat without a word. ‘ I suppose the lake isn’t very deep here, keeper, is it ? ’ said Lonsdale, as they were drifting before the wind, and a lurch nearly sent him off. ‘Well, sir, 5 said Myers, *1 should say that just ’bout here’s the deepest part of the whole mere; they do say as ther’s thirty foot o’ water.’ The dragoon’s teeth chattered, and his eyes rolled despairingly about, but they met with nothing consolatory, for no one seemed to care for him, and again and again he wished mentally that he had learned to swim. ‘We ought to touch that little island in a few minutes, 5 said Captain Barry, as they drifted on. ‘ And so we shall, sir, 5 said the keeper, ‘or else get so near it we shall be able to swim ashore, and turn the boat. 5 The news excited Lonsdale, and all turned out as the keeper had said. They drifted so near that he lowered himself into the water, felt for the painter rope, and then swam with it ashore, dragging the boat up on the gravel. The men then turned the punt over, baled it out, and were afloat in it once more and drifting before the wind, when the skiff appeared in sight with two men in it, bringing spirits, blankets, and wrappers. But the news of Tiny was far from encouraging. The doctor had been sent for, and the servants were doing everything they could, but the man was afraid that there was little hope. Chapter IV. It was, however, found on their return that there was hope, for the doctor had restored animation, but it was only for a severe feverish fit to supervene, and for many days there was a hard struggle with death. The old admiral had insisted upon his guests staying, in spite of his trouble; and he appealed again and again to Lawler as to whether he was not the most ill-used man on the face of the earth. ‘ The gout’s better, though, he said; ‘ and, gad, sir, I forgot all about it as soon as I saw them bringing my little darling up to the house. Lawler, my boy, if it had gone wrong with her, I believe it would have killed me.’ It was a fortnight before Tiny came down to the little drawing-room, looking very pale and weak, and no sooner was it announced, than Lonsdale rushed off to pay his homage. He was not gone long, however, before a message came into the study, where Lawler had shrunk upon seeing Lonsdale hurry off. ‘ She’ll be better pleased to see him, 5 he muttered bitterly, and then sat brooding, as he thought about the terrors of the day, of the agony he had endured, and the relief when he knew that she would live. ‘ Half selfishness; I thought more of self than of her, poor girl, 5 he said. ‘Why should I grudge her the happiness she feels. 5 ‘Where is he? In the study? Might have known 5 It was the old admiral’s voice, as he came stumping across the hall, and the next moment limped into the place. * Here, I say, you, Harry Lawler, what the dickens are you doing burying yourself in books, and leaving me to drive myself mad hunting after you ! This gout’s coming back, like—like—like a hurricane, sir. I shall be so bad tomorrow, that O dear, 0 dear! But don’t you know 7 Tiny’s down-stairs again, and wondering why you don’t go and see her.’ ‘ Captain Lonsdale’s with her, said Lawler bitterly. ‘No ; Captain Lonsdale isn,t with her either. Why, Lawler, you don’t deserve to have the little lass, you don’t; and for two pins, sir, I’d forbid it. Go and see her directly, you scoundrel, and, egad I if you say an unkind word to my darling, sir, I’ll have you out and shoot you I 5 Lawler stood hesitating, for he knew of old the leanings of his host; but this announcement that the captain had been up, and returned, and in so short a time— ‘ Ah, poor girl 1’ he thought, ‘ she’s too weak to have a long interview.’ He felt a poke in the - back from the admiral’s stick as he crossed the hail, and the next minute the door had swung behind him, and so great was his emotion, that the place looked blurred and dim before his eyes. He had made up his mind, though, to be very quiet, cold, and reserved. She would thank him for saving her life, and he should say it was nothing, only that he was glad she was so much better, and that would be all. And there she was, rising hastily from her scat, looking so pale and delicate, and yet eager, as she half ran to meet him, and he was so cold and reserved, that his heart gave a great throb, and before he knew it, he had caught her little hands in his, and was holding them to his breast. ‘My poor little girl 1’ he exclaimed. ‘ You have been ill. ’ ‘ Yes,’ she said softly; and—it must have been through weakness—she leant against him. ‘ I’ve been very ill. They told me all about it. ’ ‘ About what ?’ he said huskily, ‘ About how brave and good you were, and how you saved my life.’ * Hush !’ he said, and he laid a finger upon her lips, to have his hand taken in both hers and feel it kissed again and again; and the next moment his arms were round her, and she was sobbing oh his breast;

‘ And I’ve been half mad,’ he said, ‘ and hopeless, and full of despair. 5 ‘Why?’ she said softly; and there was something of her old meiry arch look in her eyes, as she met his fully. * Because I belived you cared for some one else. But you did not love him V ‘No! never, 5 was the reply, frankly given. ‘He flattered me, and was attentive, but my eyes were open before the day when that terrible accident occurred; and—and—you were so cold and cruel all the time.’ * And she don’t care for yon a bit, Harry Lawler, not a bit! 5 said a voice, which made them start, for the old gentleman had crept in quietly, to stand chuckling at the success of his scheme. ‘ Come here, puss. But there ; you may kiss her once, sir, and then There, there; God bless you, my dear ! you’ve made me very happy. Now, I can go and have my gout in peace ! ’ But somehow the gout did not come on, and the admiral was in high spirits the next day, even begging Captain Lonsdale to have another week with the pheasants. But the captain was recalled suddenly to town, and the groom who drove him to the station said he was ‘ the stingiest gent as master ever had down.’ Mrs Rowbotham, however, thought differently, and she confided to Captain Barry her sentiments after tea. * So thorough a gentleman, Captain Barry, suave, polished, possessed of the tone of good society, and of excellent birth. I think the admiral has made a great mistake —don’t you ?’ ‘No, ma’am,’said the sailor quietly, ‘I don’t. 5 ‘ You don’t, Captain Barry ?’ ‘ No, ma’am; I think he would have spent the girl’s money, and broken her heart.’ ‘ Captain Barry ?’ * Look there, ma’am—look there !’ He pointed with his eyeglasses to where Tiny sat, pale and thin, but with the light of love shining from her eyes, and Lawler reading to her from one of her favourite authors. They seemed to think they were unobserved, for Harry softly raised one little white hand to kiss. Mrs Rowbotham gave her shoulders a little bit of a shrug, and said nothing, for the admiral was coming up to where they sat. ‘Mrs Rowbotham thinks we have done wrong, admiral, in apportioning our little pet. For me, I say we have done right.’ ‘ Right! God bless them, yes.’