LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1031, 15 October 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

CUOSS PURPOSES. In Two Chapters— Chapter 1. (Continued.) 'Oh, I shall die near that blazing log.' 'And I shall die if you remain over there,' says Aunt Isabel; and carries her poiut. ' B tter I than you, Auntie,' says Miss Mordaunt, and coming over, good -humoredly kneels down besid'' her kinswoman. ' Cold hands—warm heart,' murmurs the old laity, caressing the soft white fingers that lie upon h< r lap. ' A troublesome possession,' rem irks Mrs Leyton with a lazy smile 'No one is really happy in this world except he or she who carries an empty besom.' 'Are you happy?' asks Miss Cissy innocently. 4 Almost The little worn out article that beats here'—laying the hand over the region of the heart—'has pulsations hardly stroDg enough to cause me any uneasiness. Now and then I feel a faint pang—not often.' ' I wouM rather keep my heart, even at he ex; en e f my suffering ' says ' issv v / r ly. ' he who cannot r eel ar.gin.sh. cui know nop■'!'■■ tj y. Without 1- v< 1-f. i.mistake, an unutterably stupid gift, 'j aat is how I think; bnt then I am Irish, ami therefore of course unreasonable.' ' 0 no,' says Mrs Leyton graciously. ' The Irish are the most charging people in the world so light hearted, so quick to sympathise. Though I have been h- re only t-. days, and have asked no questions., J knew you to be Irish before you told me. Most of my fn'enHs erne fr* m your land: even Captain Halke tis half Irish, his mother being fr in G-aiway.' ' Yes V say.* Cissy She rather shrinks from mention of Halkett's name, and remembers with a slight pang hiw Irieodly have si emed Ins relations with Mrs Leyton since her arrival. 'Have you known i aptain Halkett long?' she cannot help asking 'All my life. His father and mine were fast friends ; our childhood was spent together. Then we separated'—with a s gh, that sounds ominous to t'issy, but in reality is only bom of past sorrow, utterly unconnected with him in any way - ' to meet again after many years in India, and now here One way or another, all through, Frank's life has been mixed ua with mine.' Cissy bi' es her lip, and asks no more questions ; but Mrs Leyton notices the ac ion of the white teeth, and ponders. ' There is agrea'- charm in Frank's manner I think ?' she says interrogatively. 'ls there? Mst men nowadays are charming, as acquaintances,' replies Cissy carelessly. * And Captain Halkett is too universal a favorite to be altogether charming to one.' ' f'oor Frank !' laughs the widow lightly. 'He is unfortunate; or at least has found some "ne who cannot apprec ate. him. Then you mean to say you would find it impossible to care for any man who liked some other woman besides yourself ?' * Well, as you ask me the question, I confess I would,' says Cissy, who is feeling irritated, she scarcely knows why. ' I would divide honors with no one, and I would be winner—or nothing.' ' Then the man you love must be civil to no one else ?' with arched eyebrows indicative of surprise. ' Oh, civil. Let him be ?s civil as he pleases. If y<>u were talking merely of civility, I altogether misundtrsuood you. 1 only meant if I had a lover—which at the present im unent I certainly have not —I would wish to be first in his eyes. Let him be civil to all the world, but let him love me.' ' Quite so ; that is only fair, I think,' says the widow, but she looks immensely amused; and Cissy seeing her expression, feels her wrath rising. ' I quite thought—judging from, appearances —that you and Captain Halkett were very good friends,' goes on Mrs Leyton unwisely, and regrets her speech a moment later. ' I beg you will not judge me,from appearances,' saj's Miss Mordaunt haughtily. 'A woman of the world, as you are, Mrs Leyton, ought surely to know that people for the most do not always feel everything they may look. And besides, you must forgive me; but if there is one thing I have a particular objection to it is being watched and commented upon.' ' You are right,' returns Mrs Leyton with suspicious sweetness ; ' I fear I have been very indiscreet ; for the future I will not watch jo a and Captain Halkett.' There is a covert merning in this speech that is absolutely maddening ; but the enI trance of the gentlemen put a stop to Miss j Mordaunt's reply. She withdraws slowly, i and seats herself upon a distant lounge, where she is immediately joined by Major Biake. ' I hope you have missed me,' he says with a tender glance, pushing aside her trailing , skirts that he may gain room for his huge I person. ' I assure you the time those men spent over their wine was actionable ; while I was tantalised by dreams of fair women the entire two hours.' ' Two hours! What an exaggeration. Why, by Aunt Isabel's watch, that wan never known to lose a minute, it was onh • half an hour.' j 'What to me was two hour 3, to you was [ but a fourth of the time. How cruel an interpretation may be put upon your words ! j And 1 have been buoying myself up with the hope while absent from you, that when we did meet again I should hear something kind from your lips.' 'And so you-hall,' says Miss Mordaunt, bestowing upon him a radiant smile, just to let that woman see she is not pining for the recreant Frank. But unfortunately for the success of the thing Mrs Leyton is looking the other way, and does not see it at all, while Frank Halkett does. ' Mnst I confess to you ? Well, then, my accurate knowledge of the hour arose fro in my incessant glances at the watch, to sec if you- delay in coming was really as long as it i! peared —to me.' 'lf I thought you meant that'—beginRlake hesitatingly, with a sudden gleam i> bis eyes (what man but feels more valian after dinner than before ?) —' if I really thought you meant it'— (To be continued.^