LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1497, 3 December 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A ROMANCE OVER WHITEBAIT, f “ London Society.”] Concluded. Mr Lovel shrugged his shoulders and shook his head and smiled indulgently at his daughter. She was an odd person, he was in the habit of saying, and had many whims and fancies. Presently the moment came when Mr Lovel and his daughter had finished their dinner, ‘Now, roy dear, what do you propose to do V said Mr Lovel. ‘ Are you going to leave young Dudley here?’ ‘ Why, yes, papa,’ said Beatrice. ‘ You wouldn’t have me go and fetch him. We mmt leave directly, and we can drive back to town before dark.’ A s she spoke she rose, and the party opposite had a full view of her tall slight figure and handsome head. Dudley’s heart sank as he heard the comments of his temporary friends. For a moment or two he saw the waiters bowing and making way, he heard the rustle of silk, the indescribable frou-frou of a woman’s skirts, and in desperation he looked up and met the dark eyes of his betrothed, fixed upon him with something of the expression that had puzzled him during his interview with her in Mrs Pomeroy’s conservatory. She smiled and bowed again, and passed out of the room, followed by her father. Men are more friendly to each other than are women, and Clyde, by this time guessing the position of affairs, came to Dudley’s rescue, exclaiming, ‘ I say, Dudley, are you not going to say a few words to your friends ? You can catch them up at the door, and tell them the ne mssary conventional untruths. lam sure these ladies will excuse you for a moment rather than that you should appear rude.’ Mademoiselle Tata having declared that it was useless trying to save appearances in that direction, and Mademoiselle Toto having signified her willingness to dispense with his company in toto, Dudley muttered a few apologetic words and made his escape. He felt exceedingly foolish when he reached the broad doorway. Miss Lovel and her father were standing there, waiting for the carriage to draw no, and he was conscious that his face was flushed and that he was not so clea rheaded as he might have been. As Miss Lovel turned to greet him, he heartily wished himself back beside Mademoiselle Tata in the dining room. ‘ I am glad you contrived to come and say a few words,’ she said, smiling brightly, and noting at the same time the young man’s disturbed appearance. ‘ You are a gay party, are you not ?’ ‘ Very gay indeed, I should say,’ muttered Mr Lovel, who thought it was his duty to he somewhat severe. ‘ Here is the carriage, Beatrice.’ ‘1 am ready, papa,’ she replied. ‘ It’s a pity we can’t drive you back with us, Mr Dudley. I hope you will get home safely,’ she added, with an expreSMive glance. lie muttered a few unint lligible words as he handed her into the carri <ge, and ho heartily wished ho could go back with her as she suggested. Then when she lent out of the carriage to give him her hand and to murmur in a low voice, ‘You will come to see me to-morrow, will you not, Edmund ?’ some strange feeling stirrad within him and found expression on Lis face, and Miss Lovel saw she had produced the effect she desired.

When, the next afternoon, Clyde returned, after his drive, to his rooms in B md street, in order to dressior dinner, he found Dudley sitting by the open window. ‘ Well, Dudley; what’s the matter now ?’ he exclaimed. ‘ Have you had too fierce a fire about your head respecting yesterday’s joke? When a friend displays such assi duity in his visiting one always knows there is something wrong. What has happened? You can tell me while I dress ; but you must not be too diffuse, for I must be in Cleveland square by eight o’clock. Now, then, have some brandy-and-soda, man you look quite disturbed—and tell mo your troubles, while I paint the lily ; and don t say I am not a good friend.’ ‘ Oli, you’re a good friend enough,’ muttered Dudley, leaning his head on his hand ; ‘ but I wish I had not been induced to join you and your friends in your expedition, to Greenwich yesterday; that little party has cost me all the prosperity that had come upon mo.’ ‘ What, even the prosperity that dawned upon you in tho conservatory the other evening? ’ laughed Clyde. ‘ It's no laughing matter, I can assure you,' said Dudley. ‘ 1 fed like a cur that has been whipped.’ 4 Have you been hounded down by your creditors, then?’ suggested Clyde, with another laugh. 4 If y u laugh in that absurd manner every moment,’ said Dudley impatiently, 4 1 shall thr w something at your head.’ ‘ Keep cool, i udiey, ’ said Clyde. 4 1 am getting to the serious pait of my toil-tie ; te.l me the climax of your dismal story while 1 am lying my white cravat, h’eri «usly though, my clear fellow, what’s wrong ? ’ 4 'I his is whai,Uas happened,’ said Dud'ey. 4 A\ hen I saw Miss into her carriage last night she asked me to c>Ol up >n her today, and of course I went to the v-ouse after lunch to-day. bhe received mo wan utmost kindness ; she asked me several questions about rny affairs, and at last she said that she knew quite well how I w<-a situated; that I wanted a certain sum of money to pay

my creditors, rather than a wife ; that yesterday’s incident showed her that I could not love her, which was not surprising, since I knew her so little ; that she had accepted me the other night as a slight punishment for my recklessness ; that she had never intended to many me, but that she wi hed to keep me for her friend; and finally, that she ha I put twenty thousand pounds in my bank to my credit, which she hoped I should devote to the paying of my debts instead of taking refuge in such a spirit in matrimony, and which 1 might return when I liked, and as I liked.’

‘By Jove I’ exclaimed Glyde, ‘that’s a woman vrorth cultivating ! ’ ‘ tut what am I to do?’ said Dudley despairingly. ‘What are you to do, man?’ said Glyde. ‘ Why, you ought to be delighted now, since you have got the money, and it’s not saddled with the wife. Twenty thousand is not of coarse so desirab’e as sixty thousand ; stiil, if you had had to take the girl with the larger sum you would have had many extra expenses, and there would have been settlements ; as it is, you have the twenty thousand clear; and I daresay she would lend you more if you really wanted it. I should not waste too many regrets over the forty thousand difference. Twenty thousand will help you along a little. For my part I think you are very lucky to get out of it all so well.’

‘But, Glyde, you don’t understand me, ’ cried Dudley ; * you don’t understand that I feel humiliated to the lowest degree by this girl’s generosity She has put her money in my bank ; how am I to restore it ? She says I can pay it back to her when I like, but when shall I ever be able?’ ‘My dear fellow, I shouldnt quarrel with Fate, if I were you,’ said Glyde ; * I should let the money remain at your bankers’, to be used at your discretion. I should think of it and talk of it ns a loan, and should think of, and talk of and to, the the lady as if she were a friend, like a man. I don’t see that the position is very trying, I must own ’ •But, Glyde,’ cried Dudley again, with singular energy, * I should like to marry her without the money 1’ Glyde turned to look at his friend gravely, and then said, shaking his head as he spoke, ‘lf you have fallen in love, as the common saying runs. Dudley, why I can’t have you here any more. My chums may come and tell me what they like about their pecuniary difficulties, and I am always ready to sympathise with them, but I cannot put up with the ravings of lovers their entire absorption and selfishness ; so pray keep away, my dear fellow, until the attack is over Are you severely hit or do you think it is likely to be lingering?’ ‘You may laugh as much as you like,’ said Dudley ; ‘ but I tell you what it is—f have made up my mind to do all I can to win her.’ ‘ And get the remaining forty thousand ?’ said Glyde. ‘ And get Miss Lovel herself, ’ said Dudley decisively— ‘ a brave and generous woman ‘ And what is more to the purpose—a rich one,’ nut in ' 'lyde. ‘ Who deserves to be appreciated by the mau who wins her ; and by Heaven I will win her!’ ‘Now, Dudley, my dear fellow you must go,’ said Glyde quietly. ‘I recognise the first stage of your disease, and shall send you away before it developes itself, and threatens to endanger the peace and prosperity of all your friends. I shall be very gUd to see you when you are convalescent. Good-bye, dear boy; think of your future and keep cool. ’ And, with a laugh, Glyde went off into his bedroom; while Dudley went out of the house, half vexed and half amused ‘ I will win her 1’ he muttered to himself, as he walked along, a new feeling in his heart, a new ambition in his brain. And eventually he did win her ; and they dined at Greenwich on each anniversary of their wedding.