LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1639, 22 May 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MY PARTNER'S STORY.

{Concluded.)

' YeS a poor mau away in Spain ' 'At that quiet straightforward answer my hea-d sank, for I loved her, Hugh, and —fJod help !- I love her still.' I here was a pause, and Vam. I said to Eastnor, 'You would have asked her to marry you V ' Yes ; why not ?' said he fiercely. «Ah, he continued more calmly, ' I know what you would say : my family 5 did I think of the anger of my grandfather i;ho earl, or the horror of my aunt Lady B. ? Well, you know, Hugh, what I think of the world, and how I despise society ; the sneers and jeers of *ha collected Upper Ten would have had no effect ou me, I could have been happy anywhere wit',. Juafc'ita, arid I could have made her happy too, as my wife; but that was not the way to help her, nor would it have been fair to the "poor man away in Bpain." She evidently did not think me rich; for you know, Hugh, I am celebrated for my carelessncs in dress ; and I was the same in those days. 1 aiked her what she meant to do. She did not know 3 she had no money; she had tried to get ansther situation, but who would tako her withou* a character? and how could she get one? she had no money, and she was in debt for her food and 1 dging. The woman I had se>n her with was a respectable widow who had known her parents 5 she had taken her in. but she was poor and had some little children. Further questioning her, I found that the widow had been trying to peisuade her to turn artist's model; but she shrank from that, and so did I for her ; and I made her promise never to do such a thing, making my words more forcible by saying that I was sure her lover would not like it. Then I gave her a trifling sum, sufficient to pay her debts, and walked home with her to the widow's. • 1 saw Juanita several timed j and each time my good opinion of her increased She was gentle and refined, and possessed, a wonderful amount of common senße, which, in my opinion, is the most uncommon sense to find in either man or woman.

' Before I left Milan, which was within a week of mv first seeing Juanita, I gave tho widow sufficient to keep the girl for two months. I maie her promise to take care of her, and on no account to let her tarn model. I will not tell you of the parting, Flu^h—of how eloquently bhe thanked me ; begged me to tell her my name ; said I had saved her from great misery ; and what could she do for me. I could have answered, " Love me ; bo my wife ;" but I dared not. I only shook both her hands, and said, " Be a good girl, and remtmber your promise." " 0, signor, I will 1" she said, and then burst into tears ; and so we parted. 4 1 went to Eome ; and I had not been there more tban a week when I met my aunt, Lady B I had beon thinking da and night of Juanita, and what I could do for her. Now here was an opportunity, but it required some diplomacy. I followed my aunt about day after day, making myself useful and agreeable to her in many ways, till she laughingly told me I was becoming quite a man of fashion, and she had no idea 1 could make myself so She was growing quite fond of me, she said ; and as to the children, they adored me. The time came at last for me to tell my story. I told it; and begged her to take Juanita into her house as maid or nursery-governess to the children. Aftersomedemursheconsented,and went with me to Milan to i>ee Jtunita, We found her; and she and Lady B. returned to Rome. I would not go with them I was afraid te trust myself. Be'oro I parted from my aunt, I made her promise to write to me now and then, and to be *ure and It me know if Juanita's engagement should be broken off. At the same time, I told Juanita that if I could in any way advance th« worldly prospects of 'the young man in Spain,' without taking him out of his sphere in life, I would do so. 'Ladyß. remained abroad two years, and faithfully kept her promise of writing to me. I could tell from what she said that Juanita had fully realised my expectations, and was good as she was beautiful; indeed my aunt had grown to love her, and to rely upon her good sense. «All this time I working in my dingy chambers, not daring to take a holiday abroad for fear I should be tempted to go to Italy. You, young one, who have had no experience, will scarcely understand me ; but remember, if a like misfortune should ever fall to your lot, t'lat hard work is the surest cnre for this kind of hea-t disease Well, I worked and grew contented ; and when my aunt returned, 1 withstood all her pressing invitations and my own inclination to go and see her; but when she Baid that Juanita wanted to see me and thought me unkind, I went.

'My aunt's country seat was down at Bushney; it was there I went and saw Juanita. She wa3 delighted to see me, and seemed as if she could not make enough of me. I found her greatly improved ; and her beauty was simply dazzling. She had learnt English, and could read and speak quite fluently. She read the papers, and had formed a clearer idea of England and English life than she used to have in the old days, when she thought she had only to come 'over here to make her fortune. The children were very fond of her. She lived entirely with them, as nurse, companion, and friend. It was pretty to see them together.' 'And the lover?' I said, as Eastnor paused. 'He was still faithful, and therefore I kept awa7 ; for I found I loved her, if possible, more than ever.' • Then you never saw her»again ?' ' Yes, Hugh, twice. Do you remember my being very ill. just seven years ago now, when you were going up for your preliminary exam ?'

• Yea, I well remember it ; we thought we should have lost you,' said I, fully recalling that sad time when I was not allowed to see my friend. 'I overworked myself,' said Eastnor calmly. ' Juanita hoard of my sickness ; and when I was getting bottei, and could just sit up in this easy-chair, my old laun. dress, who was head nurse that afternoon, the hired nurse having gone out, suddenly put her head in at the door, and said a young lady wanted to see me. I guessed who it was, and declared I could not see her ; but, weak creature that I was, I repented, and told the old woman to ask her in, and she came —into this room, her hands full of flowers, and her eyes filled with the tenderest pity when she saw how weak I was. She remembered my fondness for flowers, and had brought the choicest. Was it their perfume, or her presence, that made mo feel so faint ? S'ie sat and < hatted some time ; and then, finding I h*d no vase to put the flowers into, she went out and bonght that little glass epergao that stands on my tible now. 1 know you have often wondered why I value it. That afternoon was torture to me ; but I hid my feelings well, for I am sure she had no idea h»w I loved her. I saw her once before going abroad. I went to Bashey *o hid my aunt good-bye, and to thank her for her goodnes-s both to my pr-.tegee and myself. I thought Juanita was away with the children. Vou cannot imagine the shock it gave me wheu, instead of my aunt, Juanita came into the room. Whether Lady B. did it on purpose or not, I shall uever know; but there was, then, no help for it. There she was, holding my hand, and saying, in her sweet voice, how glad she was to see me better ; and then—and then—l don't know how it happenei. Hugh, but I suddenly held out my arms to her, and cried. " Juanita, Juanita ! I love you, I love you I'

I her startled look, I saw b*r shrink away from me; and thru my arms dropped, sod I s»nk on to a ohair. Sae fell at my feet and cried, "0, no, no, no I Tell me it i»n't true, it is not true !" and she covered her face with her hands. "It is true !" ? said hoarsely j and I stooped and raised her Poor girl, Bhe se-jmed ready to faint, I held her in my arms, and t>ld her she must f rget what I had said. I ought never to have said it ; but I had had a long struggle, and was weak stM f< om my illness 1 aik«d her to forgive me, and to forget; hut she, poor thing, cried, and seemed to think that she was in fault, and begged me to forgive her ; and then I kissed her for the first and last time, and we parted, never to meet again ' Sastnor ceased; and there was a profound silence in the ro >m; and taoa I said huskily, * W hat became of her ?' 'She was married in Rome five ye-us ago/