LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1037, 22 October 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

* ONE WOMAN'S TREACHERY. “ Argossy.” ( Continued.) But she did him injustice there. Mr Hastings had never felt love for her, or sought to make her think he did. Of an extremely modest, un self-asserting nature, good looking though he was, he had deemed that Miss Lawrence had but flirted wrh him, amused herself with him, just as she did with a host of t ther young men : and so the misapprehension had gone, and was bringing trouble in its trAn.

Her hair pushed back, her heart beating with all it? tumultuous and varied passions, Bella sat on after Mr Hastings left The loud opening and closing f the street door, and a swift footstep on the a airs aroused her It was her cousin who entered, one Richard Lawrence ; a young man of nine and-twenty, who lived with ti en. He had a small share in the business, and he hoped, by dint of playing his cards well, to succeed to it after Mr Lawrence.

.VI r Richard also hoped to succeed to something else Miss Lawrence. He did n->t love her; but he did love ber money, for the ruling passi m of his heart was avarice, if beloved one person more than another, it was pretty Lora Stevens ; her golden hair and sw. et blue eyes were wont to haunt hi as he sat in the counting house over his account-book? But he said nothing to her, and meant nothing : a per governess could never be the wife for him : he wanted one endowed with ihe mine? of Golconda. He and his cousin Bella understood one another. That is, she understood him. She saw that he wanted her for his wife on account of her money ; she knew how abject (with this aim in view) a slave he was to her, how ho beat before all her whims and caprices, and that she could turn him round her little huger. On his part, he suspected her fancy for Dean Hastings; fancy, he thought it, nothing more; but he was outrageously jealous of that, and there were moments when he wished he could see that gentleman banging on the nearest tree; ay, and could have helped to hang him.

Ilicliard I awrencs did not love Mr Hastings on his own score. He was a little West In dan follow, with a dark face and ungenial manner ; whereas Hastings was one of the best looki ig of men, and charmed everybody ; <he result being that while the one v as cou ted in society, the other often found the cold sh' uhler turned upon him. And thus Richard Lawrence was prime for any li tie bit of by-play against (eastings that n ight be proposed to him. Not that ho expected any such proposal; nothing could be farther from his thoughts, it came, nevertheless.

‘ Why—what is the matter, Annabella? ’ It was the face of his cousin that called forth tt e exclamation, Hel'a passe 1 heraotfc cambric handkerchief across her brow.

* It’s that wre'ched Hastings. He has been he e insulting me.’ ‘ What!’ c ied Kichard, angrily rising.

And Miss Bella Lawrence entered upon a graphic tale. Some little truth was in it, but the greater portion was the concoction of her own fertile brain ha rings had dared to talk of love to her, she hinte i, while he had unconsciously betrayed that he was playing fast and loose with Dora Stevens—villain that he was. And there was nothing for it but his being sent instantly out of Richborough. ‘ InstanHy !’ exclaimed Richard, lifting his head. ‘ But, Bella, I don’t think he can be spared ’ ‘As you please. Dick Ido care for him a little—and perhaps you know that I do Let him remain here, and I won’t answer for what may happen Some fine morning yon and papa may find he has run away with me. He is audac’ous enough for that, or anything e'se, and w men like audacity in men, you In w.’ Richard Lawrence knitted his brows.

‘ \s to that governess girl, he no doubt fully intends to kidnap her, whether or not; she’s nobody :■ provided she can keep the knowledge, of it from me. Wives don’t care to liPK,r these things, you see. I have sometunes thought y m liked the girl a little bit y; ur-e f, Hicha d

‘ ■ he’s a nice, pleasant little giri enough,’ -aid Richard * Honest aa the day, and worthy ’ ‘And friendless,’ added Bella, with quite a display of benevolent feeiing. ‘ Well, diehard, for,- her sake you should banisl oni.’

i ‘ r eij me think it out,’said Richard. ‘1 , hardly see how it is to bo done. Your ifather leaves a great deal of control to me, i hut he does not leave all. bon [long is be to go for ?' ‘For good,’answ-red Bella, passionately ‘As cajjpot have him, aha shall not,’ she

added to be self; and her face ior the mo' ent wore the fierceness of a tiger’s, * Why can’t you send him out to our cotton in Barbadoes, Richard?’ ‘ Bicause—because I don’t know why. It has never been thought of, Bella ; he has been too useful whe>e he is.’

‘ Id - s any me gone out to take the place of the ' hief clerk there, who died ?’ ‘ Nob yet. Procto r is partly promised it.’ Their eyes met P octor was the c’erk immediately under Hastings : why not substitute the one for the other? it was the question that Bichard was reading in her fixed look. * I would ; I’d be glad to be rid of the fellow,’ said RLhard, m wering the gaze. * But these appointments do not lie with me. Vour father has always made them. Hush ! here he comes.’ Mr Lawrence came in slowly In walking across the room to an easy chair, Bella «aw th it he limped. ‘ Are you not well, ppp i ? ’ * Anything but tha , 1 <m afraid, my dear. I am in for a fit of th-* g "it again, unless I greatly mistake My foo has given me twinges all day ; and now I can hardly bear it Hemember one thiay, Richard ; if Ido get laid up, you must not bother me as you did last time, bringing all sorts of trifles to me—you must act for yourself. You are as capable as I am.’ A faint sound of exultation, suppressed instantly, broke from Bella’s lips. This threatened illness, this extension of power to Richard, seemed to be happening on purpose. Surely the devil did appear to be ip league with these good people! For with th© morning Mr Lawrence was plunged deep into an agoi ising fit of the gout, could not leave his bed, and his servants were running all over Richborough for the most able physicians. ‘is that you, Mr Hastings? Come here.” The speaker was Richard Lawrence He sat in the post of honour in the countinghouse ; am I Dean, as he entered, in, obedience to the mandate, saw it with some surprise ; fo r that place belo< ged only to the head and chief. * You are a litHe late this morning.’ (To it Continued.)