LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 919, 5 June 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

ZANETTA, A CREOLE,

By Mrs Alexander Fraser. ( Continued)

Despite their wealth and position in Jamaica, the Wfltons had not been fortunate in the matrimonial disposal of their daughters, partly owing to the fact that in the West Indies eligible suitors are scarce, and partly because the feminine element preponderates in the island. The eldest daughter had married a Trinidad planter, who in a year had gambled away his fortune, drunk himself to death, and returned his wife penniless on her father’s hands. The second daughter was a so-called ‘ beauty,’ and therefore tiew at higher game than Jamaica could furnish. Hearing that Derrick Mainwaring was heir presumptive to an excellent English title and fortune, the Wilton family in general, and Isabel Wilton in particlar, had made him an object of much attention, and the centre of many hopes. There had been no visible scheming —they were all too wise and well-bred for that—but there had been a deal of finesse and ability, which proved its skill by its success. Step by step the victim was led on, until there was little doubt but that the object in view might have been compassed if the dark sparkling face and large tawny eyes of Zanetta Le Clercq had not crossed his path, and dashed into insignificance the commonplace beauty he had admired before.

As the creole, -with a taint in her blood, but supreme loveliness on her features, stood before her mirror, gazing at the face and eyes reflected therein, she asked herself what this sudden civility meant. Why had they invited her again ? Had they given up the pursuit as hopeless, and were they willing that she should taste one short draught of happiness ? Young as she was, Zanetta was shrewd enough to return a decided negative to her question. Did it mean a plan to draw her out of Derrick Mainwaring’s way. or to place her in an unfavourable light in his eyes? At last she shook her head.

* I cannot guess, she murmured, half aloud ; ‘ hut whatever it may be I am ready to face it. I am no child to fall into an open trap. I think my wit is as keen as as theirs, and if war must come, it shall be war a entrance. Let them mean what they will, this is my only road to happiness, and I shall take it. They cannot harm him ; and as for me, I am not rich enough in any gift of earth to fear for myself. The destitute can afford to be brave. I will go ! ’ The next morning a carriage with gorgeous liveries, well known in Kingston, stood before the school, and a child rushed up the staircase and burst into the teacher’s room like an electric shock.

‘ Amelia, how you startled me ! ’ ‘lam so glad you are going with us. I did not think mamma would ask you ; but Marion told her to. I did not know that Marion liked you so much, did you, Miss Le Cltrcq?’ Marion was Mrs De Lorme, the Trinadad planter’s widow. • I had no idea of it;’ and Miss Le Clercq went on tying her bonnet-strings with a little smile on her face.

‘ Did you know that Colonel Mainwaring was gone ? Isabel is quite unhappy about it, ’ the child went on. Gone ! What a dark mist it was that came without any warning over the Creole’s sight ! what a strange sudden choking rose in her throat ! She gasped for breath for a moment, but so slightly that the careless girl beside her heard nothing, saw nothing—not even the swift pallor thatjdashed over

her features. Then she spoke quite quietly, ‘ No, I did not know it. He must have gone very lately, for I saw him pass here last evening.’ ‘ That is likely, for he only left this morning. He dined with us last night, and said good-bye. He is gone to cruise about the islands for a few mouths in a fdend’s yacht. Isabel went to the roof with a telescope and saw the yacht put out to sea. lam sorry for Marion ; she wanted Isabel to marry him, so that she might go with them to England and get a second husband.’ * I am ready now. ’ said a weary voice in answer to all this. ‘ And, oh, if I could but have stayed quietly here,’ Zauetta murmured to herself. Part 11. Any one who has ever been in the delicious hill country of Jamaica will understand how it was that, in the course of a very few days, the teacher ceased to regret her change of quarters. In the burning heat of Kingston existence had, at times, been a torment ; here it was a delight. Every hundred feet of mountain elevation was equivalent to a degree of latitude, and though the luxuriance of tropical vegetation crowned the lovely hills, the air that fanned them was as fresh and pure as an elixir of life. The sultry heat of the coast seemed a thing incredible in the airy villa that was perched on the mountain-side like an eagle’s eyrie, while far below a wilderness of glowing landscape stretched to the sea, and the roofs of Kingston, together with the harbour of Port Royal, lay clearly visible in the distance. The Creole had been so closely confined since she came to Jamaica that the prodigal lovliness around was to her a revelation. Child of the south as she was, her own south was like a faint cold outline of the beauty of this fairy region, Swiftly the days flew by. There is not a more delightful society anywhere than that of the planters, whose country seats occupy these mountains, and the Wiltons’ house was the heap-quarters of gaiety. Miss Le Clercq had come to be happy ; she ended by being ‘ gay } and what a wide 'distance there is between the two ! After a while she began to feel grateful to her hostess for the pleasure bestowed. But her heart throbbed sorely when she thought of the man who had gone away without one word of farewell. Gone, when he knew her brief period of freedom was at hand. Still she laughed and sang and danced, and with her undeniable artractions made quite a furore in hrr set. People forgot her social posit on, and, only recognising the native nobility stamped on her, received her ■with open arms. Suddenly, in the midst of all this, there came a ‘ jar.’ Suddenly she woke to the conviction trat all was not as smooth as it appeared, and that she was the object of a scheme. There was a young planter among her admirers who only required a little encouragement to become a suitor. The young man was handed over by Mrs De Lorme to the Creole, with the advice that it would be wise to accept all he could offer. That Miss Le Clercq looked on the matter in a different light was not remarkable, In many respects life had been very hard lines to her ; but it had never taught her—it never did teach her that lesson which most women appear to learn in their cradles, and the Alpha and Omega of which is ‘to get a husband.’ So when tile widow signified that only a word was requisite to bring Henry Havering to Rauetta’s feet, it was hard to say whether she was most astonished or mortified by the decided, though courteous repulse she met. ‘ Thejgirl’s obstinate refusal even to look at t the man was a proof that she has not given up all hope of Colonel Mainwaring,’ Mrs De Lorme remarked to her mother.

* We must get rid of her at once,’ was the reply. ‘ You see you were so sure that it would be easy to dispose of her to some one. Colonel Mainwaring may be back any day aud find her here. ’

• She must go back at once. I will drive into Kingston to-morrow, and no doubt a a message can be invented from the principal to re Gill her. There can be no harm in her remaining a day or two longer ’ Twelve hours later Mrs De Lorme had come to alter her opinion on this score, and to lay up for future consideration the important lesson that a policy of procrastination is generally a policy of loss. That very evening a party dined at Kelnwood, the residence of the Wiltons. After dinner Miss Le Clercq was called to the piano and sang unusually well. She had a glorious voice, flexile and true, and excellently trained; and after a while she gave out that gem of melody—Beethoven’s ‘ Adelaide ’

Although she never sang it again in her life, the tender passionate strains seemed breathed into her ear by unseen lips many and many a time, and they always brought back like a vivid picture the memory of that night’s scene : the brilliant room, the gailydressed women, the broad windows opening wide to the glory of the fragrant tropical night, the tropical heavens full of silent shining stars, the faces by her side, nay the very scent of the tube roses drooping in her hair. Suddenly the eventide of harmony wavered and almost stopped ; suddenly a sharp discord came into the sweet-tone idyl; and suddenly also a fierce wave of colour swept over the singer’s dark face, as a tall extremely handsome man entered the room, and, despite the beauty of the ‘ Adelaide,’ was greeted by a chorus of voices. ‘ Colonel Mainwaring, this is charming, and such a surprise ; we all thought you far away ! ’ It was Mrs De Lorme who said this.

‘The yacht put back for repairs,’ he answered, while his eyes fell and grew riveted on a figure at the far end. ‘ Come into the other room and, see my mother,’ the widow went on, marking the glance. ‘Mr Havering, how is it you are not at your usual post ? ’ Mr Havering followed her eyes, and moved off at once in the direction of the piano. Seeing which Derrick Mainwaring first looked surprised, and then he laughed a little forced laugh. *So Havering has changed his shrine ? I hope Miss Wilton was not very cruel to him !’

‘ Oh, no ; Isabel likes him very well; but as, of course, she could not think of him herself, she handed him over to that girl of Amelia’s teachers, you know, and who, of course, in her position, poor thing, is delighted with the position and comfort Mr Havering can offer.’ Colonel M ainwariug’s eyes—and very keen ones they were—followed the planter and rested again on the Creole, over whom her admirer was bending. ‘She does not look delighted,’ he remarked coldly, as he saw Zauetta turn haughtily away.

{To be continued.)