LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1714, 18 August 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

BOROUGH-ENGLISH. A Tale of South African Like. By Copia Fandi, 5.0. L., Author of ‘‘Twelve True Tales of the Law.” Chapter lll.— (Continued.) ‘Well, if I were coming out for the first time, knowing what I now do of the country, I'd start as a missionary—beat berth going. -A a it is, I am reporter for a paper, and get £2O a month, and am getting farther into debt every yoar. I’ve got to spend at least £lO a month in drinking with fellows, in order to get information.’

‘ Such as you tried to get from me ? ’ ‘ Exactly ; have another glass ? * ‘ Yes ; I’ll pay for it this time. But, yon see, you got no information from mo, and yet you asked me to drink.’ ‘Well, you see, it’s such hot weather. Got any letters of introduction—any friends, or anything ? ’

‘ No; I know no one in the colony.’ ‘Ah, you’ve got plenty of money’’ ‘ Quite the reverse.’ ‘ Then you’ll permit mo te ask, s'r, what the deuce brought you out here ? ’ ‘ Is this such a very bad place, then ? ’ ‘Yes; a mud-hole in summer, a dustheap in winter. You’ll be no use in a store, because you can’t speak Kaffir. Yon can get Gs a day in the mounted police, and that is the only th ; ng I can think of to suit you. Mr Hewett, 1 ow d’ye do, sir ? ’ ‘ Gentleman just arrived from England ? ’ asked Mr Hewett. Jack assented.

‘ Been in a colony before ? ’ asked Mr Hewett.

‘No,’ said Jack, ‘but I have been two years in a lawyer’s office, and can mako myself useful here or anywhere else.’ ‘ Got a character ? ’ * Yes, a good one.’ ‘ Take £lO a month ’ ’ ‘Thatwill do for me.’

‘ All right ; come into my store just outside. I’m a landing agent; I want a good steady man. I can seldom keep my clerks more thau a year or so ; youcan’tkeep young men sober in this place. What will you take to d-ink ? ’

“After this warning Jack thought it best io postpone the honor of pledging his new employer ; but he went to the store and was soon engaged in keeping tally of the large cases which strings of Kaffirs kept carrying in.

When Jack went up to the town, as he did the next day, to tell his friends, the Brokesbys, of hia new engagement, ho found Mr Stevens, the planter, whose carriage stood waiting for them at the door. He had scarce time to receive their congratulations before ho saw them drive off; but it did Jack no harm with his new matter when on the morrow a Kaffir brought him an invitation to spend a day at the planter’s house. It was usual to allow plenty of leave to new comers at first, and Jack had the benefit of the custom.

After following tho high road for a few miles Jack strode along a track np hill to the right, and soon came to the entrance to Mr Stevens’s house. It lay in an enclosure of about two acres, sheltered by the universal gum trees and syringas, and rich with bananas and plantains, while tho golden fruit shone bright against the deep foliage of several large orange trees full 20ft high. Of artificial gardening there was not very much, but it seemed as if, after planting everything in a place which suited it it, the master had been content to leave the rest to nature. The house was a large, low, square building, without any upper storey, and covered with galvanised iron roofiing, which on two sides was continued for 12ft beyond the walls in order to cover tho long, low, tile-paved verandah, which, at a height of 2tt from tho ground, flanked two sides of the building. The master came out to welcome his guest, and, after passing between two gigantic cacti, each nearly as tall as the building itself, they came upon tho verandah, which, at that time of day, offered its shade to the inmates.

A gentleman was seated beside Dolly, with whom he was engaged in conversation. Jack greeted Mr Brokesby, and Dolly blushed a little, and smiled a good deal more, as she gave her hand to their visitor. ‘ But here’s a gentleman you don’t know,’ said the host * Let me introduce you —Mr Jack Smith, Major Lowcraft. You see we have learned to call you Jack already. Wo have heard all about the ship’s cook, haven’t we, major? Ah, if you would only serve mine tho same way, I should be able to entertain my friends better. 1 Everybody at once felt at home at Mr Stevens’s, for although Tom Stevens, as he was often called, murdered the Queen’s English, and was the subject of a good many tales which left his honesty in doubt, he was so throughly hearty and good natured that everybody liked him. Jack was no exception to the rule ; hut he hated Lowcraft at first sight. Lowcraft was rather a fine looking man. and as big as Jack himself. He had a good deal of style about him, and was about 40 years of age, and a gentleman, had the air of a soldier. About his expression there was certainly something slightly uncanny ; but whether it was because ho found him talking to Dolly that Jack hated his new acquaintance I do not know, and Jack himself was equally uncertain on the point. Of one thing, however, Jack was sure —namely, that Lowcraft was far too old a soldier to show such a sentiment by any of its ordinary indications, and had far too much pride to willingly allow a ;, y man to regard himself as having the honor of being a rival to so fine a gentleman.

They walked round the garden and over to the mill, and saw the carta bringing np the sugar canes, and Saw the crushes, and boilers, and vats, and coolers, and clarifiers, and a new patented machine for turning out the crystallised result; in short, they saw a great deal you may read of in bool ■ and they also smelt the sickening smell and saw whole strings of naked and perspiring Indiana which no book can describe. There was one thing, however, which they neither saw nor were told, and that was that the whole commercial fabric was utterly rotten ; that the estate, like all its neighbors, was mortgaged to beyond its value to credulous capitalists at a distance ; that interest and the charges of brokers, agents, and lawyers were paving the way to the erer recurrent liquidation, and that Tom Stevens was no more the real master of the estate than wss one of his own coolies

Then they dined in the long room with the windows open on to the verandah, and were waited on by coolies and Kaffirs, gliding noiselessly on their naked feet; but Jack did not sit near Dolly, and the conversation turned on Natal being a splendid country, far hotter thaa England, the expected yield of sugar being something portentous, and the sugar-grower being a virtuous and beneficent autocrat, who scattered competence among the subordinate herd, while deriving to himself wealth, dignity, and case by the same humanising process. The ladies retired. The fiery compounds known in the colony under the names of port and sherry soothed the ropleted host, who had been a barman, an 1 still had a barman’s tastes; but ho had been dragooned into getting a butt of claret from Bourbon, which the rest of the company were allowed to enjoy.

They went out into the verandah and stretched themselves upon long chairs. Coolie girls, with Jewels in their cars and noses, and silver anklets on their naked limbs, brought coffee made by Indian hands The guests imbibed—- “ From nutbrown howl and hollow reed, The wreath’d incense of the Indian weed.” and still they kept saying what a magnificent country it was ; the lingering beams of day shed a rosy tint over dorp and veldt, and old Brokesby believed he had come to Paradise at last. A half-hearted effort on the part of the company to persuade themselves that they could enjoy such music as they could produce brought to a close an evening which was to Jack one of the most melancholy of his life. He had not been able to exchange twenty words with Dolly, and next morning he had to return to the wharf.

In the cool and fragrant morning a naked Kaffir, walking solemnly and singing a little story to himself, led forth Jack’s horse, and Jack stood by the gate taking a look at a certain window which he fancied was of interest to him, when he was startled by a light footstep behind him. ‘ U!’ said the Kaffir, and his eyes brightened, and he showed a row of ivory teeth. ‘ Forgive me, Mr Smith,’ said Dolly, halt out of breath, ‘ but I want to speak to you before you go. Ido not wish to trouble you unnecessarily with our affairs ; but we are all three strangers in this very strange place, and I hope I do not deceive myself when I count on the continuance of the friendship which we formed when we were shipmates ?’ * I wish wo could bo shipmates for ever,’ said Jaok.

‘Thank you,’said Dolly ; ‘it is as I supposed. I speak quickly, because time is short and opportunity difficult. lam afraid these people are fooling my father, and I may have to seek your assistance. That is what I have to say.’ ‘ I quite agree with you, and wished to toll you so last night. The land is more dangerous than the sea. Keep a sharp look-out. Prevent the conclusion of any matter, aad send for me whenever there is a chance of my being of any service. I have been articled to a lawyer, and understand business. You must trust to me.’

Ho kissed the long white hand which was held out to say ‘ good-bye,’ the fine tall girl walked hurredily homeward, the Kaffir said ‘ U !’ and grinned once more, and Jaok rode pensively away.

Chapter IV. A DOUBLE DISCOVERY. Jack was not one of those poor-spirited youths who suffer agonies of doubt as to their chances oi winning and retaining the regard of their sweetheart That be loved Tolly, that she loved him, and that ho meant to marry her were things thoroughly settled in his mind. What made him thoughtful was the danger to the old man and his daughter and the impecunious condition of Jack himself. His resolution to extricate himself from this latter difficulty drove his thoughts into a peculiar channel. He reflected on the erect form and stalwart limbs of the splendid savage who had led out hia horse, and was much concerned when ha reminded himself that that savage lived on 6d a day. He thought that he was as good as a savage, and would do the same. He returned to the landing store, removed his portmanteau from his lodgings bought a stove, and ensconced himself in a small room at the back of the store. The furniture of the room consisted of a mattrass and blanket, two empty packing cases which he had borrowed, the portmanteau, and the stove. Hero he started to live on soup and mealies, with the Kafir’s allowance of sixpennyworth of meat ones a week. He did not feel entirely comfortable, and found the heat having a great effect on him, but he k< pt in good spirits and did his work all the same.

The Kaffirs took an immense liking to to him. Whether it was that one of them told ‘ the boss’ of how Jack was living, I don’t know; but certain It is that one morning ‘ the boss’ came round to Jack’s quarters, just as the latter, fresh from a plunge in the sea, was smoking a pipe and watching the progress of the stove. ‘ Halloa, Mr Smith Lyon here ?’ ‘ Yea, sir; you told ime I could put my portmanteau here,’ said Jack. ‘ Yes ; but I never told you to come here yourself,’ said the boss. * Well, I don’t like to be separated from my portmanteau,’ said Jack ; ‘ and I thought my living on the premises would bo an advantage to you.’ ‘Oh, you’re quite welcome,’ said the boas, laughing ; ‘ but surely, with your salary, you could get a better lodging.’ * Yea, but I must save money. lam going to be married.’

‘ Whew 1 you’re an odd fellow ; hut, to he serious, I like you, and don’t want to part with you. You want more money, and I can’t give it you. You have been a lawyer’s clerk. Go to Chipstono and Westoombe and get taken on at £ls a month. Give mo the longest notice you can, and I’ll run my chance of getting another clerk. Will that suit you ?’ * Entirely; and lam very much obliged to you.’ Jack took the offer and followed the advice, got engaged with tho lawyers, and very soon found that his two years passed under articles at home put him on the high road to entering the profession on his own account. He had not been many days in his new birth before a Kaffir came in with a note from Doily (who had been duly apprised of his change of address) summoning him to her father’s cottage on the Berea. Jack found the plaoe, and Doily came to meet him at the gate. ‘ Before you see my father,’ said she, ‘ let me tell you what has happened. I found myself unable to carry out your advice to prevent the conclusion of anything. Major Lowcraft has persuaded my father to take a share in his sugar estate of Mount Garland. ’

‘Ah I I see,’ said Jack; ‘ then it was your father’s money that enabled the major to pay off some of the arrears of interest on the mortgage. We are concerned for tho mortgagees, and have been pressing for payment. There will be some more money wanted in three months’ time.’

‘Oh 1 how dreadful!’ said Dolly. ‘Wa are ruined.’ And she bur«t out crying. ‘Poor girl,’ said Jack. ‘But you shall never be ruined as long as I am here to help on. I am doing very well now, and shall start on my own account the very moment my present engagement is over.’ ‘ And to, through tho cunning of ono man, and tho folly of another, I have coma to be dependent on the kindness of—of —’ ‘ Of a stranger, you were going to say,’ said Jack ; ‘but I have something to add, though I did not mean to say it now. I love you, Dolly 1’ ‘ And I suppose, sir, you think yon can as easily astonish me by that unnecessary declaration as when you told me about the mortgage,’ said Dolly, turning from to ire to laughter. ‘ And perhaps you would take it entirely as a matter of course if I wore to add that—that I liked yon very well?’ (TV) he continued.)