LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1482, 15 November 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

PROUD PEARL'S CAPRICE. By the Author of 'Jennie of "the Prince's,"' <Won!'&c. Chapter I—ln the Ball-Room. The blaze of countless waxlights, the scented air of sweet flowers and their rival perfumes, the hum of many voices, the gliding of hundreds of feet, some shod in lacquer and others in daintiest satin; the sparkle of innumerable gems, the more bewildering sparkling of human eyes, the laughter of light hearts—perhaps the heaviest ones laugh the loudest, who can tell ? —and above all this is the moving spirit of the giddily gay scene—music !—Strauss's dance music, bewildering strains, played with so wonderful a power that they seem to force even the most lethargic of men and the most affected of women on to their feet, eager to join the whirling festive throng. The ball is given by Madame la Comtesse de Monteferrata, and celebrates the twentyfifth birthday of Victor, her only son, the pride and joy of his widowed mother. Madame is an Englishwoman, who has grand relations and great personal wealth. In her young enthusiastic girlhood she married a noble Spaniard, moved by the eloquence of his melting eyes, his graceful dancing, and, above all, by that charming fashion he had of serenading her, before the windows of the British embassy in Madrid. Oh ! those wonderful moonlit nights when she leant from her balcony and rewarded him with a rose she she had worn, and which he pressed so ardently to his lips. But all that happened many years ago ; it would have been forgotten now, but those are just the episodes of life that women do not forget. It is over a score of years since the " nobil senor " has been gathered to his ancestors, but madame la comtesse has by no mraus forgotten his dark eyes and bright smile even now. After her hnsband's death the countess returned to England to live among her own people, and devoted her days and all her thoughts to her two young children. Victor -fair-haired, blue-eyed —is essentially an English-looking lad, the very son of his mother, while Inez seems the gentle counterpart of the handsome dark senor, her father. ' What a charming assembly you have here to-night, madame la comtesse. It gladdens even the eyes of an old soldier, who goes tomorrow to look on very different scenes.' So says, with a profound bow of greeting, a venerable-Jooking Frenchman, one every inch a soldier, from his keen black eyes and heavy white moustache, down to the extra polish on his square-toed boots. ' Are things really lookiug so serious with you, general ?' asks the countess, with sympathy. • Serious, madame ? Heavens! but we shall have war -absolute hand-to-hand war, and they shall learn to tremble in Berlin when they know us better. We will teach friend \ ictor. \V ould he were in my regiment. Of such stuff are heroes made.'

' Pray, general, do not let him hear you.' ' Not for worlds, madame, if it should cause you a moment's anxiety.' ' Young men are so enterprising, so enthusiastic,' (-ays the fond mother; 'they are always eager to rush into danger, and any novelty attracts them. I should not like Victor to he led away by wild emulation in this causfe. which to me, I must confess the fact, appears a veritable chimera.' 'On that point, we will not argue, madame, and as to Monsieur Victor, the mother's fears are surely uncalled for,' says the general drily. ' The young man seems far too much engrossed at present to give heed to the remarks of any outsider. Well, I don't wonder! his companion is very lovely. Who is she ?' 'Oh ! a little nobody—my daughter's companion. An orphan we have partly adoi'ted j I knew her mother well. She is rather pretty, as you say ; and dear Victor is so considerate, and thinks it his duty to dance with all, as far as possible. .Remember he is host to-night.' ' And a host in himself, Lidy Monteferrata,' says an influential Englishman, coming up at the moment; on which these three immediately plunge into the great war question again, which at this time is beginning to agitate Europe, and threatens soon to convulse the Continent. Meanwhile Victor and ' the little nobody ' have a subject of more vital importanc? to themselves to discuss than general questions concerning empires rnd dynasties. ' Como into the uouocrwatory, Pearl. I must talk ti you away from this maddening, noisy crowd,' and as he speaks Victor draws her little hand close within his arm. She leaves it passively, and walks on silently by his side, through a long dimly lighted corridor, which leads to the furthest entrance of the great gkus-house.

Chapter ll.—ln the Conservatory. Tub conservatory is very large—it is built along one entire side of the house. It contains magnificent plants of tropical growth. Huge palms and graceful ferns form a verdant and shading screen. Entering at the last door, Victor feels secure from the prying eyes of visitors. He places Pearl in a low rustic seat, and stands before her in silent contemplation. ' I thought you wished to talk to me, monsieur lc comtc ?' she says presently, and as she speaks she lifts her clear grey eyes steadily to his. ' Has it evtr happened that I do not want to talk to you ? Oh ! why have you so utterly withdrawn yourself from me of late Pearl ? I fcarcely ever see you at all, and 'never alone You avoid me as though you hate me—yoi, Pearl —who are my very life! How I hive longed, hoped, prayed for to night. I ;ould scarcely await its coming. But I tiank God I have had my reward. I have ield you in my arms, and we have danced together ; you the loveliest of women, and ] the happiest, the very happiest of men.' He pauses for a moment. She is no lonj-ar Jookim up at him, and sits motionless.

He catches at her land and presses it fervently ; she meets lis eyes again, and a faint smile comes- to hej lips. In truth she is a very lovely woman. Her hair is of that wonderful chestnut eoltu r i n the waves of vhich golden light seem*to play at hideHid seek ; her clear grey e :cs are shadowed by dark lashes, the firm c Un is cleft by a delicious dimple, and it was for the tinting of her wondrous skin Vhat her romantic mother called her ' Pearl.'

Dearest, says Victor, renewed tenderness, 'do my eyes me? does my voice move you R does ao-. my heart speak to yours of its passionate '"adoration ? Pearl—you Pcari beyond pi ice, I hate done your bidding, I have waited in silence for a whole year! To-day 1 have attained my majority, 1 am my own master, I know no will but my own, and I get possession of a fortune that even you might deign to accept. And all this—will —fortune—absolute commaud of niya* If and all that ever may be mine, I lay a t your feet. Will you bless m?? L'earl, will you be my wife!' As he speaks his passion overpowers hitu. Ho

says no further words, but throws himself a suppliant upon the ground at her feet] She is strangely quiet, and hesitates a long minute before she answeis him. Of all her charms perhaps the greatest is Pearl's voice. In its low musical tones she now speaks to her lover and he hears her to the end; but as he listens lie is thrilled by a measureless pleasure and by a measureless pain. lie himself scarcely knows which emotion is keenest.

'Monsieur le comte,' she says, 'believe mo I value truly the great honor you are doing me, and more still the true love which, as you now have proved, lives in your heart for me. I have learnt it well ere this. You have indeed bravely kept your word. For a whole long year you have been silent on this subject, on which just twelve months ago you first spoke to me. And now you come to repeat your question, and not having changed your mind expect an answer. You are rich, handsome, noble. You can hold up your head with the highest in the land, and you come to mo who have nothing —am nobody—a poor dependant, living on your mother's charity, befriended by your gentle sister—you come to me, and ask me to be your wife ! Oh !if only you were poor ! If we might work and live together! If you were an artist like my poor dead father, who struggled so hard—and to whom a wife was as a right hand—a help and a blessing!—how I could glory iu helping you, in watching you rise, as rise you surely would, ay, and assert yourself, your own true noble self, among men. I am very proud, Victor! Is that a fault? Think how proud I should be of you, and of your success ! Now yon have no need to work, no desire to distinguish yourself. Your father's title and your mother's wealth make you an object of admiration and envy to \ your little world. Such a little world after ' all! Your whole life has been one of indul. gence, flattery has surrounded you. There has never been need for you to lift your ilttle finger, or to endeavour to be useful to yourself or others. I like you much, Victor, but I can never marry you. lam no fitting wife for the Comte de Monteferrata. I must look np to my life's lord with veneration, and he must have won something for himself and by his own merits, something no money can buy. Then [ could sit at his feet in absolute content, admire, worship, and obey my hero !' She rises and with a gentle movement withdraws the hem of her dress, on which he is kneeling. He has scarcely realised all she has said, but he feels she is going, going from him, who, alas! has no laurel erown to lay at the feet of this proud, ambitious, lovely, lovable woman. He also starts up now and seizes her arm almost roughly. ' You mean to leave me. Pearl—is this to be our farewell ?'

'lt is best to part at once, as it must be for all time. I cannot marry the Corate de Montef errata.'

•Because to his mother and his father alone he owes his position ?' he cries. ' You have said !' she answers quietly. ' There is no other shadow dividing us ? There is not graven in that deep heart of yours the picture, the thought even, of any other man ?'

' Great hsaven, no!' 'lf I—for you—unaided—alone—can win honor and renown—prove myself a man among men, fight my way upwards if I can —thus win distinction for you, will you deem me worthy ? Will you then be my wife ?' ' T will.'

' You promise faithfully, on your honor ?' •I swear it' . . . she pauses for a moment, then flings her arms about his neck and looks into his eyes. ' I swear ifc, Victor, by the love that in my heart of hearts I gave to you, even before you asked it.' And she lifts her head and seals her bond with a kiss upon his lips. (To be continued.)