LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1565, 24 February 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

L VDY CHARM' IGH’S DIAMONDS, f ** London Society.”] {Continued ) He returned ivdsel ssly to the dressingroom, aud there sure enough saw the globular s'rong b x standing in its app inted corner, and revolving with that quiet purring sound which La ly Oharmeigh had l it ly abhorred. Now the sight profoundly a-tonished **'ir Peter, for he was not aw»re th»tthe safe had been mended. It moreover incen ed him, for that Lady Charmeigh should have ente-ed Into communication with the safemaker without telling him anything about it was evidently a slight upon that mirital dignity concerning which he was so sen: itive As Sir Peter seldom went into his wife’s dressing-room, he bid not seen the strong box for more than a fortnight and he, now began to walk round and round it examining it with the stealthy attention of a caged animal inspecting some strange thing It had been perfectly mended, and looked from its m-ssivenesi as if it could defy the attacks of any gang of cracksmen. ‘ Well, of all the perverse, incomprehensible, wayward creature I *, women are the worst!‘ exclaimed Sir Peter. ‘ Only to think of the jewels being in that safe now. Amy has forgotten to lock up her key, though, which is just like her. I’ll open the box, and *a sure as I’m alive every diamond shall be put into the bank to-morrow. We shall see what yon think of your precious clever ness then, my lady!’ Sir Peter chuckled in malici' us glee, and stole ba r, k to the bedroom. /•'■ she returned with the bracelet and key. he looked of the window and saw Di k Lyster smoking a cigar patently at the foot of the ladder. It had been arranged that D ck should remain at this post until the burg’ary had been consummated, aud then go off to bed, leaving the ladder standing under the open window to frighten the servants in the morning. Sir Peter, on his side, was to return to his own quarters without, of course, passing through the window again So confident did the baronet now feel of success that, to spare Pick the trouble of remaining out longer in the cold, he dropped his pockethandkerchief into the garden, which was the preconcerted signal that everything had gone off well and that Dick might depart. Having done this, Sir Peter, who felt hot from perspiration and excitement, doffed his overcoat, coat, and gloves, and betook himself to business, key in hand. ‘Let me see, to-day is Thursday,’ said he, ‘so “Jupiter” will be the word.’ He touched the nob on the stand with his foot, and the globe became motionless. A few turns of the disk at the top of the globe brought up the letters of the word ‘ Jupiter,’ and then Sir Peter inserted his key into a cavity between the body and the dot of the middle letter i. But at this moment an appalling thii.g occurred. A Roman candle starting up under the marauder’s nose exploded with a deafening bang, the alarum began to ring like mad, and at the same time Sir Peter felt his hand tight imp risoned in a steel loop which clutched him with bruising force,

‘ Help 1’ bawled the miserable man, for the clasp hurt him, besides which his hair and eyebrows had been singed by the powder of the Roman candle, and he was frightened out of his wits. ‘ Help! murder 1 thieves! Hie, Amy 1’ Lady (Jharmeigh, nnable to distinguish the sound of her husband’s voice, had jnmped out of bed in a panic and run into the passage, where rhe was uttering piercing shrieks. These, joined'o the maddened vociferations of Sir ‘tter, who was the more scarified from being in the dark, as he had upset the candle an i could not understand what was happening to 1 i n, speedily roused the whole household. There was a stamvede of feet down corridors, an opening and shutting of doors, and the i presently Sir Peter heard the sharp, firm voice of Patty Eaggles saying, ‘O, it’s a burglar caught in your ladyship’s new trap. We needn’t be afraid of him. Just let me teach him a b sson with this rid og -whin. 1 ome along, John, Thomas, Charles, all i f you.’ The door of the dressing room was thrown back and a curious pr- cession filed in—the butler and footmen in shirtsleeves and trousers, the maids in their smocks and flannel petticoats s behind all, Lady Charmeigh wrapped in a peignoir, and trembling, i’ut Patty Haggles. with a quite manly courage strode in front brandishing one of her mistress’s riding-whips. Sir '■ t ter had become silent and sheepish, exp o otipg to be released, and he turned a bevil ered countenance toward* hi* servants, forgetting that it was impossible for th<m ti recognise him with his blackened face, to say nothing of t v e cricket-cap and handkerchief which converted him into a villanous guy. Besides, the noise of the alarum, which continued to ring *wice as loud as any telegraph-bell, drowned the s nnd of his voice, when he pit-ous’y ejaculated, ‘lts I !’

* Vou. is it ?’ answered Patty Baggies rough y ; and, to the horror and fury of Sir Peter, the strong• a m»d wench began belaboring the chubbiest parts of his lower man with terriffc slashing cnts ‘ There, take that, ’ she paid, ' and that, and that 1 Now a few on the hands to warm you this cold weather. Ah. you don’t like it, I see ! w 11, try another d se on the legs—whish, whish I’

It was in vain that poor fat Sir Peter haped, danced, yelled, cursed ; the louder he roared, the more was the natural sound of his voice altered ; and, meanwhile. his gambols were so ludicrous ; he was evidently suffering such exqul■i!e pain from his whipping, that the spectators could not forbear to laugh. Lady Charmeigh, whose risible faculties were easily stirred, was the first to set the example, and though she said, * Enough, Patty, enough,’ she could not check her tittering. The servants, emboldened by her conduct, fairly guffawed to see a rogue, as they imagined, get his full deserts, and so the comedy might have continued some time longer, had not Pick Lyster suddenly appeared on the scene in a dressing-gown, and exclaimed,

‘ I say, what’s all this uproar ? Why, it’s Sir Peter you are thrashing ! ’ * Sir Peter 1 ’ cried Patty, falling back, and she let the whip drop. * l ir Peter ! ’ chorussed the other servants, in awe stricken accents.

‘ Sir Peter I ’ exclaimed Lady Charmeigh, stupefied, and she advanced as if doubting whether this were not a hoax, * Why, how came you to be she could recognise her lord. * Loose me from this, will you ?’ roared the I‘aronet, ferocious from pain and rage. ‘Why, how are you caught?’ said Lady Charmeigh. ‘ Let me see, I don’t know if I remember how this catch can be unfastened. Do you, Patty ? ’ ‘ Ves, my lady; I’ll loose Sir Peter, said Patty, bustling forward. ‘And, O Sir, I’m so sorry for the whipping I gave yer. 1 do hope your poor body isn’t sore ? ’ ‘ Out of my eight, you drab ! ’ thundered the Baronet, as soon as he was released. ‘ Never let me see you again; and all you others dear off this instant. What are you all gap ng at ? ’ Sir Peter was quite wild, and the room was cleared without more ado ; but as soon as the hatband and wife were alone together, i ady Charmeigh became grave, and said severely. ‘Now wdl you please explain to me how you came 'o cause such a scandalous scene?’ * O, bather! ’ groaned iir Peter, ‘ Fetch

mo »omo arnica ; I f®*l in V ''’tis.C Were coming off. And, 0, mercy, look at my hands and legs I'

Chapter TIL

! From that hour Sir Peter Charmeigb was a subjugated man .Not that her ladyship made an ungenerous use of her triumph ; foshe was indeed, very goodnatured in tryiog to salve the wounds inflicted on her husbands self-esteem, not less than in embrocating those which his limbs had endured Knowing how painful it mast bo to him to see in the house servants who had been witnesses of his discomfiture, she dismissed most of them, and would even have found a now situation for Patty Haggles had Sr Peter insisted on it; but he did not : for the wench became meek and hysterical vowing she was readv to die of grief for having whipped so good a master, and promising to throw herself int> a pond if she were discharged. Sir Pe?er to d her to stay and bo hanged j and ho appeared to be insensible to his ,J| ife’s blandishments, though she r> ally did all tba’ a loving Wls can do to atone for her share in h's misadventure. But the story had of course leaked and Sir Pe*er via- chaffed bv his country friends in a style most gilling 'o the pride of a consequential man. Wherever he went whether to cover-side, magistrates’ meetings, agricultural shows—he was jocosely asked whether Lady Oharroeigh’s diamonds were safe, and some ill-natured wag had the basenesi to send her ladv rhi,) anonymously a new riding-whip with a facetious insoiip’don on its gold nob. To make matters worse, Sir Peter began to have misgivings that the whole affair of the shpm burglary bad be’n planned between Dick L' i-tcr and Patty Haggles on purpose to g« t him punished and to make him ridiculous l ady Vilious, Amy’s good friend, set this rumor afloat, and caused mmr annoyance to Lady Cbarmeigh by so doing He ladyship roundly taxed the Hussar with the imputed freak; but he denied with a - much earnestness, word of-honoring. and so forth, that there was no option bat to believe him. However, Lady Charmeigh deemed it good policy to remove her safe out of Sir Peter’s sight. It was stowed away in a lumberro m, and the Baronet never made any allusions to it. It w-s noticed a’so that bis interest in machinery perceptibly declined from this time.

Everything passes, even rancor among married couples ; and so it befell that, after a few months, the recollection of his trouble grew less intensely bitter in Sir Peter’s mind, and matters ran again in their own grooves at Charmeigh Hall. No more burglars were heard of, and Lady CharmeLh, trusting in her good star, fell to thinking that s’nce her diamonds had braved such desperate raids, they must bear charmed lives. But in this she was wrong, and it was her destiny to go through a much more trying experience than thefi-st two which had fallen to her lot.

Spring came and with it the London season, when the Charmeighs were wont to •emove to their town house in Park-lane, The day fixed for their departure was a fine sunny Monday in ; hut the sudd- n illness of one of Sir Peter’s nucha obliged the Baronet to go and spend a few days wi.h the relative, and so Lady Oharneigh went to London alone. Her servants accompanied her, and with them Pa'ty Baggies. N< w Patty had been in unaccountably low spirit for fome weeks past, and her mistress was very anxious about her. There were tinus when the girl was almost flighty with a causeless gaiety, and others when she appeared smitten with hypochondria, so sullen was she and peevish. Lady Charmeigh was too good-hearted a little womm not to endeavor with all her might to ascertain the motives for her favorite servant’s depression of rpirits ; and she had ended by eliciting, a'ter some trouble, that Pattv was in love with one of the footmen who had been die* charged after the affair with Sir Peter. This m n, said Patty, had thoughts of emigrating to America, and she wanted to go with him, though the idea of expatriation made her wretched. There were perhaps other causes for h ( r sadness which she d'd not mention ; anyhow, on the evening of her arrival in London, while Lady Charmeigh was sitting in her bond our after dinner, Patty stalled her mistress by saying that she meant to leave her situation in three days. Her manner was agitated, and she seemed ready to cry; but she did not actually shed tears, only whimpered. (To he continued.)