LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1059, 19 November 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE TWO SIBYLS,

Chapter I,

‘ Here is a letter from Mr Cameron, Rosie. He says it will be a great pleasure to Mrs Cameron and him if my friend Miss Dews bury will accompany me to Clenach, and they hope her society will reconcile me to its dullness and seclusion.’

‘lt is really very good of them to take me on your recommendation, Lily, and we must try to put a little life into the old place and the old people.’ ‘ Mrs -ameron is my guardian’s mother, and, I fancy, is an old lady; but he is not old, at least not very old—a little over thirty. ’ ‘ Well, that is not young, at any rate, but not too old to tease and flirt with. Now, fair Lily, do not shake your wise head and begin a lecture, because I cannot listen to it now. In one week we shall be free, able to go out and in when we like-to sit, walk, skip, run, as the spirit moves us.’ ‘ And think of the heather and the woods in exchange for Inverness terrace and the Bayawatei road.’ ‘ And we shall dine in English, and breakfast without the accompaniment of text and collect : won’t it be splendid ?’

The lively and excitable Rose caught Lily by the waist, and waltzed round the room till both sank exhausted on the floor. Lily was the first to speak, and her voice was somewhat sad.

‘ It is delightful to think that we shall be free, but I feel a little sorry to leave school. It is different for you ; in a few weeks you will have your father and mother, you will have home. But for me there ia no home ; and here we are all equal, and I do not feel it so much.

Rose raised her head from Lily’s lap, and threw her arms around her friend.

‘ Idly dear, my home is to be yours too; you are my dear sister. There is only one difference between ns, and there I envy you : you are a great heiress, and everybody will worship the beautiful rich Miss Montgomery.’ ‘ Yes, for her money ; I never can be sure that anybody will love me for myself. Ah, Rose, if I could only change places with yon, and make Mrs Cameron or anybody love me!’

Rose sprang to her feet and clapped her hands.

‘ I have it, I have it! ’ Lily looked at her in wonder. ‘ Have you ever seen your guardian or his mother ? ’

4 No ; why ? ’ 4 Then I shall go to Glenach as the heiress Sibyl Montgomery, and you as my friend Sibyl Dewsbury. It will be like acting a play, and sha’n’t I lead them all a pretty dance '! ’

Before Lily could grasp the idea, the bell summoned them downstairs, and interrupted the conversation. The two speakers, Sibyl Montgomery and Sibyl Dewsbury, were the children of brother officers, born in India within a few weeks of one another, baptised at the same time and by the same name. They spent their early childhood together, and the contrast in ' heir appearance suggested their dis tinguishing names of Rose and Lily, by which they were almost always called. They were separated when sent to England ; but on the death of Dr. and Mrs Montgomery. Mrs Dewsbury begged that her little orphaned goddaughter might go to the same school as Rose. Dr, Montgomery had inherittd large estates, to winch iris daughter Sibyl secseeded, her guard'ans being her father’s oJd fnend, Mr ' ameron of Glenach, and h « sm Nerval. The former died shortly before Sibyl was to ; eavo school, and his son was fhen ole guardian, in or cal van eon had not seen 1 is ward, hut now that the was about to leave school,

he and his mother had invited her and Miss Dewsbury to spend a few weeks with them in the Highlands. During the few days that elapsed before the girls left school, Dose became more and more delighted with the project of changing places with Lily. The latter was quite pleased to resign her heiress ship, but she shrank from the falseho d and deception it implied. Hose urged that it was merely a frelic, and could not possibly hurt any one, and at last she agreed; and they bound themselves to keep up the disguise till Lily’s birthday, three or four weeks after.

They were in great glee during the journey, Hose practising the part of aspoiled heiress, and giving herself all the airs an affectation her imagination attached to that character. Lily laughed heartily, hut begged, as she was going to represent her, that she would be more moderate.

Lily felt a little nervous w r hen they got out at the Highland station where Mr Cameron was to meet them: not so Rose. Acting was her passion, and she threw herself into her part with her whole heart.

She went forward to meet Mr Cameron, and after greeting him herself, introduced her friend Miss Dewsbury. The evening was lovely, and the scenery, to girls fresh from school in London, was simply enchanting. They dr we for some time along the side of a beautiful loch, winch was guarded on one side by one of the highest of the Grampian range. Glenach lay nestled in wood at the head of the loch, commanding its whole < xtent, backed by heath-covered hills, and overlooked by the giant Ben. Lily was very silent during the drive, and, it must be confessed, felt rather uncomfortable at the thought of enteiing the house of her father’s frimd under an assumed name. Mr Cameron’s conversation was principally addressed to his supposed ward, but a keen observer would have noticed that he was much more observant of Lily. As evening was closing in they reached Glenach, and w; re received by Mrs Cameron, who was an invalid and confined almost entirely to her chair. She was a handsome old lady, and made a beautiful picture with her white hair braided under her snowy widow’s cap, her fine marble-fair face lighted up by large dark eyes, and her black dress relieved by the softest and daintiest of Indian shawls.

Her son introduced the two girls. After kissing and bidding them welcome, she said, turning to Mr Cameron, ‘Norval, I never saw either Dr. or Mrs Montgomery, but from your father’s description of them, I should fancy Miss Dewsbury more likely to be their daughter than this bright little gipsy,’ Lily blushed deeply, and to relieve her evident embarrassment, Mrs Cameron turned to Dose.

‘ I may call you Sibyl, my dear, may I not ? And what must I call your friend ? ’ ‘We are both Sibyl ; but please, Mrs Cameron, you must call us by our pet names —Rose and Lily ; we hardly know ourselves by any other. lam Rose, and this is Lily.’ ‘ It is hardly necessary to tell us that,’ said Mrs Cameron. ‘The names are very pretty rnd appropriate. Now, little white Lily, run and take off your wraps, and prepare to do justice to a Highland tea. Rose, you must do the honors of your guardian’s house, for you see I am but a useless cripple. ’ Lily pressed the slender hand she held to her lips in token of sympathy and thanks, and received a sweet smile of acknowledgment from Mr Cameron, as he held the door open for them. Mrs Cameron’s maid showed them to their pretty room, and offered her assistance. But they were too anxious to be alone to avail themselves of it. The moment the door was closed, Rose danced up to Lily, and hugged her in an ecstasy of delight. ‘ O Lily, is not this delicious ? Such a lovely place, and such a dear old lady, and lam very nearly in love with your —I mean my—guardian alreaiy. But what made you blush so when you were taken for yourself ? I thought it was all over with our fun.’ Rose, I do feel that it is a shame to impose on that beautiful old lady; and Mr Cameron’s face is so noble and so open that I am sure he will despise us both when he knows, ‘Now, Lily,’ said Rose, as her head emerged from the depths of a portmanteau from which she was ruthlessly dragging the things so carefully packed by the governess, ‘do be reasonable. Can you show me any possible harm that can come of our escapade? Of course there is none, and that sober old guardian of yours will only shako his fatherly head aud call us naughty children, while his mother will be sorry that she was not in the secret, that she might have enjoyed the fun. Besides, fair Sibyl, your word is pledged, and you must not cheat me out of the honour of being an an heiress and having my own way for a little.’ Lily laughed. ‘ As to your haviug'yourjown way, Rosie, you are pretty sure to have that at any time, so I suppose I must submit with a good grace. ’ When Mrs Cameron was alone with her son, she said, ‘ Well, Norval, you have brought two very bonny lassies to enliven the old house, but I fear you will lied your ward rather wild now that she is released from school; I almost wish Miss Dewsbury had been the heiress.’ ‘So do not I, mother mine.’

4 Why ? She would have made a charming wife for you, and then we need not have left our home.’

4 You would not say so seriously, mother dear. You know that nothing would tempt me to retrieve our fortune by marriage, especially by marrying the young girl who was entrusted to my care. Nay,’ he said, laying his hand caressingly on hers; 4 congratulate me rather that Miss Dewsbury is not the heiress, for in that case temptati nr would have been less easily resisted. But. it is absurd for an old fellow like me to talk of falling in love at first sight.’ After the girls came down, there was an adjournment to the dining-room, where a substantial meal awaited them, and soon alter the travellers retired to rest. ITo hr ro »t iv V I'd. )