LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 807, 23 January 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

RUTH DARNEL'S REVENGE. Part I. As Ruth Darnel sat under a magnificent sycamore-troe on the little lawn in front of hor mother's cottage, she formed a picture which Mr Leslie would have delighted to paint, and which might have inspired a poet. A woman may look very striking as queen of the ballroom, or holding a kind of lc:ee in a box at the Opera, but real loveliness never shows to such effect as amid the surroundings of Nature. Nothing could have framed Ruth so well as the dark leaves of tuo sweeping sycamore which drooped nearly to the ground behind her, and threw soft shadows which suited her face to perfection. That face was pale, with classic outline, dark hair low on Ler brows, and eyes of velvet fringed with I<-Jg lashes. It was a face which could be c~im enough in repose, but which had within it possibilities of fierce anger and enduring emotion. It was a face that could suffer patiently enough,, but had little forgiveness in it. Moreover the broad white brow and lustrous

eyes told a true tale of a cultivated intelligence and power of thought. Such was Ruth Darnel as we first see her sitting idly beneath the sycamore-tree on the lawn.

It had been well for Ruth Darnel that her mind had been carefully cultivated, for she had comparatively early in life to go out as a governess; Mrs Darnel, the widow of a clergyman, being left nearly penniless when her husband died. At the time of which we arc writiug, however, she had come into a small annuity, and was enabled to have Ruth at home witli her in a little cottage in Surrey only a short distance from London.

Ruth Darnel had not known very pleasant experiences when a governess. No doubt governesses are very much better treated nowadays than of old ; they are seldom the persecuted beings they have been represented in fiction; but at the same time a governess's is not the happiest life in the world, and the roses, if any, which strew such a path have, we suspect, more than their fair share of thorns. Occasionally a governess gets the upper hand in a family of noiiveanx riches (after the manner of the immortal Miss Wirt) by a command of the aspirate, and an avoidance of her knife as a means for the consumption of peas—both high and unattainable accomplishments to certain people. But Ruth Darnel had found her romance even in the hard and monotonous toil of a governess's life, and in it she was supremely happy.

iShe had met in one of the families in which she had taught a young subaltern in the army, a certain Reginald Tremainc, who struck by her charms, and completely subjugated by the wonderful eyes, had made fierce love to her, which Ruth returned with all the intensity of her nature. And she did so after many warnings. Tremaine, as the saying runs, was not a bad young fellow, but lie was fond of pleasure, and his was a shallow nature, wholly unable to respond to such love ss Ruth's. Moreover he was extravagant, and seldom could keep within the allowance made him by his father. It was the old story. Tremaine was handsome, and fancied himself very much in love with his beautiful Ruth ; and she, only looking to the sunshine of the present, never dreamt of shadows in the future, and was supremely happy. This arrangement annoyed no one so much as a certain John Morton, Ruth's cousin, older than himself, but devotedly attached to her ever since she was a child. The time had been when John had hinted at his hopes; but the peal of merry laughter which greeted him, and the sisterly frankness with which he was answerd, caused him to dismiss those hopes for ever, and to put up with the cold and pale lillies of friendship instead of the roses of love.

Of course, even when he had not the slightest hope for herself, he was insanely jealous of every other man. He was furious at Ruth's engagement to Tremaine, aud had made a prediction about Reginald which caused Ruth to ilaeh out at him in impetuous anger. He had warned her, not politely, it must be admitted, that Reginald would one day run through his money, and then desert her for an heiress. But he did not say it again, for the fierce glance of Ruth's eyes and her bitter words haunted him for many a day after. And in truth it seemed a very unkind remark, for the young lover was most devoted and attentive i and whatever might be the attractions of London, near which he was quartered, he seemed to find greater ones in the little garden at the Darnels' cottage. So one summer followed another, until Mrs Darnel, gentle soul as she was, began to get uneasy. Her health was not good, and she would fain have seen Ruth happily married before she slept beside her husband ' amid the cold Hie facets of the dead.' Not that Ruth had any such thoughts the dream of love was sufficient ; but they were quite natural in the mother. Moreover, Mrs 'Darnel fancied that while Reginald Tremaine did not come quite so often, he seemed to be in a very feverish and ex cited state when ho did come, as if something he did not like to reveal brought a flush into his jeheok aud a strange light to his eyes.

Gentle Mrs Darnel made up her mind to iuteirogate Ruth as judiciously as possible, anil one day said, ' Ruth dear, have you noticed lately that Mr Tremaine has not been quite himself when he has been here, —that he was very strange and excited ?' Ruth mentally noted the ' Mr Tremaine' instead of |'Reginald,' and determined to stick to her guns. '.No mamma,' she said, ' I have noticed nothing'—that was the truth, her affection blinded her —'except that he is a dearer fellow than ever.' That was unnecessary, but it was a return shot i'oithe ' Mr Tremaine.'

'Well,' said Mrs Darnel, 'I must say I have noticed a change, and I don't think he co.nes quite so often as he used to do.'

The shot told. Ruth had noticed that herself, but it was very unkind of her mother she thought, to have found it out too. What d'd it matter to mamma ? Reginald was not her lover.

But she answered quietly, ' I suppose he has been detained in town.'

Mrs Darnel sighed, and said, 'Ah, my dear, I wish I could see you happily married before -before I have to leave you.' ' 0 mamma, don't say such horrid things ?' cried Ruth; 'and how unkind of you to want to be rid of me !' and tbeu she fell to jotting and consoling her mother. But the minds of both were full of the conversation.

Part of what Mrs Darnel had said was true. Reginald did not come down to the cottage so often. Ruth was obliged to own that to herself with intense vexation of spirit; but was there anything in the other accusation ? for so she named it in her heart. What did mamma mean? How was Reginald changed ? He had been rather restless and uneasy, but there was nothing in that. And yet, when she asked herself deliberately whether some of the recent interviews with him had been as sweet as of old, she was forced to confess that there was an indefinable something-she could give it no nam'e—which was not quite satisfactory.

Having settled that in her own mind she went uu-stairs and indulged in what she would have called a 'good cry,'and then, after studying one or two of Reginald'? nicest letters—she kept them marked in a particular way —she dried her eyes, and decided that it was all nonsense, and that she was a very fortunate girl; that her mother was far too suspicious, and Reginald was perfect, and so forth. But the little rift had come, let her bear Herself as bravely as sirmight, aud the music of life was not qtiita so full-toned as before,

Several days passed, and Reginald never appeared, until he had been absent longer than ever she had remembered during her engagement. And then, just as her heart was becoming numb with sorrow and with hope deferred, there came the following letter : ' Aldershot, June 1, 18—. ' My darling Ruth,: —It cuts me to the heart to have to write this to you ; but the fact is, dearest, I have got to the end of my tether, aud I shall bo forced to give you up. Unless, as people say, I " marry money," J shall have to cut tho country. It is hard upon me, and I am afraid it will be hard upon you ; but whatever happens, 1 shall always be your loving 'Reggie.' Surely a more heartless and utterly uumanly letter was never penned. Nor one more insulting; for while he told her indirectly he was going to marry a rich wife, he still continued his caressing epithets, and assured her should always love her. Ruth's hero was showing himself in his true colours, and, terrible as the blow was to her, she was stung by this letter into hot indignation against the writer. It was perhaps as well for her that this was the case, or the suffering might have been greater. As it was, she hardly felt xhe blow in the burning desire to retort upon her false lover. She had heard and read of other girls being treated in this way, but it had never occurred to her that she, Ruth Darnel, could be so lightly regarded, and cast off. It seemed to banish all the years of love, and she swore within herself to be revenged upon him. To do this she must, in the first instance, have an interview with Tremaine, and she made up her mind to write to him. She waited, however, until next day, in order to write calmly and coolly ; and then sent him a short note, studiously avoiding any tenderness, and merely saying that she desired an interview as soon as it was convenient to him.

Never was letter more unwelcome to any one than that note to Tremaine. He had intended to cut himself loose from her by letter, not daring to face her ; and now he had to see her with that letter written, and without the power of breaking the matter to her as gently as he might have done if he had seen her in the iirst instance. He knew there was no getting out of it. He woiild have to see her sooner or later, and the sooner perhaps the better; but it was very disagreeable, and he compassionated himself, just as all men do when they have committed discreditable actions and have to suffer for them.

So, after having fidgeted about all the morning, and imbibed more ' pegs' at the club than were good for him, this gallant young soldier went down to explain to the girl who loved him that he was going to throw her over basely and heartlessly, and marry a woman who would supply the money for his extravagant pleasures. Had he confided Lis errand to any of his friends, they would have thought it a good joke, and offered him all sorts of comic advice on the position, if, on the other hand, he had declared his inability to pay his bets on the last Goodwood, they would have cut him. As it was, he was only going to break a woman's heart, and that in no way infringes the code of honor of to-day. On the way down, as became a man who had been brought up as a semi-seientiiic soldier, he resolved upon a line of tactics. lie would treat the letter lightly, as dealing with something that might one day happen, but of which there was no immediate danger. He would temporise, in short, and while endeavoring to familiarise her miud with the idea, would soothe and calm her.

They met in the garden under the sycamore where we first saw Ruth, and Tremaine went forward to take her in his arms as of old. She drew back, however, and gravely held out her hand, which he took with a very bad grace. ' How are you, Ruth ?' he said uneasily. ' You don't look very well to day.' 'No; I an not very well,' she said coldly. It was evident that she was determined he should begin; so he made the plunge. Feeling very hot and uncomfortable, he said, ' You received my letter ?'

' I did,' she returned, looking straight into his eyes. 'Here it is. Do you wish to withdraw it?'

Here was a loopehole of escape, and ho eagerly availed himself of it. ' Well,' he said, trying to force a laugh, ' perhaps you'd better give it me. It may never come to that, darling ; but I thought it better to be fair and open with you.' ' Fair and open with me ! Is that your version of your conduct ?'

' Come, Ruth,' he said, growing still more uneasy under her scorn, ' pray be reasonable. There is nothing to fear at present; and you know how much Hove you.' She rose and faced him, and his eyes sank beneath the stern look in hers ; soft as they were, they could light up with a gleam he had never soen there before.

' Nothing to fear at present!' she said, with intense scorn.' 'How very kind of you ! You will condescend to amuse your self with me until you fling the handkerchief at some one else who is wealthy. And you say in the same breath you love me. Ask yourself the meaning of that word.' Bhe was pacing up and down now, with hur hands elapsed to her breast, in fierce agi Nation. ' And I believed you once, poor f• >ol that I was !' She dashed away some angry tears. ' .But now, thank Heaven, the dream is over. I have been roughly awakened ; but better now than hereafter.' She took one or two swift steps, and thea stood facing him. ' Love, they say, changes ; and mine has changed now—for, Reginald Tremaiiie, 1 hate you, and one day 1 will hswe my revenge !'

And then she turned and left him. Reginald Tremaiue was thoroughly asto nished, aud for the moment stunned.

The not very heroics exclamation, ' T3y Jove !' was all he said with a long breath. The young men of the day are not much given to soliloquies Avhich are peculiar to the stage.

lie had only one clear idea in his mindviz, that at any rate it was all over. The storm had been severe while it lasted ; but it had not been for long. He had turuad over a page in his life for ever; and with that feeling he rose, made no further effort to see Ruth, and went straight back to town. He was sorry for her, and he was sorry for himself, for in his light and careless way, he had loved her. His way, it is true, haduot been her way; but still he hardly realised that, and consoled himself with the idea that she would get over, it, as he hoped to do.

But, as it happened, Ruth Darnel was not one of those girls who can be off with an old love and on with a new, as readily as they change partners at a ball. She had loved Reginald Tremaine with her whole heart, and though that love had seemingly changed to hate, the shock of his faithlessness was none the less terrible to her. Indeed it reacted, as such shocks so often do in women, on her nervous system, and for some time she was seriously ill. When Ruth Darnel recovered, she and her mother moved from the neighborhood of London into a distant county, and the name of Reginald Tremaine was as that of a dead man between them, concerning whom they were to be for ever silent. (To be continued.) '