LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1780, 4 November 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE SNOW-DRIFT. A Story in Two Parts, Part 11. {Concluded ) *I, sir I What could I say or do ? Surely it is yourself or Mrs Laurence whom she would attend to most—not me.’ * I shall never influence her one way or another,’ said the justice. ‘ She must trust to her own judgment. But I should like you to lay before her all the advantages she is throwing away. She is so much a child, she can hardly know her own feelings yet. Will you do it, Archie ? I know she will care for what you say.’ * If you wish me, I will,’ I replied, in a weary voice ; and I turned away to find her. I had been reading Tennyson’s ‘ Idylls.’ and the book was in my hand as I joined May Morgan in the conservatory. There she stood amongst the flowers, like Ruth amongst the golden sheaves. The dying light lingered over her shapely head as she stood looking out of the glass door down the garden. I went and stood by her side, and for a short time neither of ns sp ke. ‘ Sir Archibald, you are very quiet,’ she said, at last. ‘ What makes you so ? ’ ‘ The weight of a commission, and the recollection that it is perhaps the last time I shall stand here for years,’ ‘ I hops not,’ she said, speaking quickly and earnest’y. ‘ And the commission ?’ ‘ It is to make an appeal to you on behalf of a certain young gentleman. Will yon consider your answer to him again, May ?’ ‘ No—Sir Archibald, I knew what I was doing.’ * You liked, but did not love him, May ?’

* Yes.’ 4 Do you know that the justice would like you to marry him V 4 Yes.’ 4 Do you know that you are throwing away a very good 'chance of happiness, May ?’ ‘ Yea.’ * And you think that you will never bo sorry for it ?’ 4 No, never. I stood all the while watching the light playing amongst the waves of rich brown hair ; her eyes never once looked up, while her small white hands were nervously employed in picking a- rose to pieces. Something in that picture struck me, while the beating of my heart w*s so loud, I thought she must hear it. ‘ May,’ I said, clasping her hands in mine in a grasp so tight that the flower was crashed, 4 May, my darling, if I ask you to be my wife, will you giyo me the sama answer ?’ A long pause,—her head, with its crowning mass of golden brown, was bent lower and lower ; the answer came very softly,— so softly, that I think no ear save my own coaid have caupht it, 4 No, Archie 1’ I clasped her graceful form to me in a wild, mad embrace. In that one minute of speechless delight it seemed as though all the darkness in my life had faded into the brightest, purest happinessgiven to humanity. Such happiness comes but once (sometimes never) in a lifetime. It was flooding mine now with more than earthly sunshine. Presently I turned up the dear face, and I covered her lips with my own. ‘May,’ I said, presently, as we sat down to talk calmly over events, * do you think that yon will be content to pass your life with me ? Are you sure about your love for me, darling?’ I looked down into her clear gray eyes, and saw my answer there ; but a verbal one came. 4 Archie, I think I mnat have loved you before I saw yon, for I seemed to know so much about you from Pat and Mary Doolan. Oh, how could you imagine I loved Harold when I could love you ?’ she said; and I was satisfied. The daylight faded, and the moon rose, and looked down through the glass upon us as we sat in our unspeakable happiness. ‘ I suppose you two are disoussaing all the affairs of the nation as well as your own, ’ the justice asked, as he opened the door, and came in. 4 No, sir, we have not got beyond our own,’ I replied. ‘Justice Morgan, we think that May will require an older hnsband than Harold Maurice ; will you give her to me instead? I will take cate of her.’ ‘Will I give her to you, Archie? Ay, that I wilL I have not felt so pleased and happy since her birth.’ The kind old man took May’s hand and clasped it in mine, and I accepted it as the gift of God. Did the justice think, as his eyes filled with tears, as he turned away from us, of that other life which he might have blessed as he did mine ? Perhaps so. Who could know all hla regret and sorrow for a lost past? The delight of Pat Doolan was beyond all bounds when he heard that I was to be married to his favorite Miss May. _ ‘Bedad, then, yonr worship,’ said he, ‘ it’s just the beat wife in the world you’re getting, barring my own. And it’s yourself that I would rather see her married to than anybody, for its yourself that's the real gentleman. ’ Pat was farther convinced of my being * a real gentleman’ some time afterwards, when I offered to take him to England, and employ him on my estate, giving him and his wife Mary one of the pretty little lodges at Castle Roydon to live in. It was just about this time that an unusual event occurred, which caused a slight diversion at Mainowen, and added somewhat to the gaiety if not to the happiness of its inmates. Major Laurence’s regiment was again stationed at Leenside, and many of the officers called upon the widow of their old comrade. We heard from them how loved and esteemed ho had been, and not a few pleasing anecdotes were told of their major’s bravery and tenderness in many a battle scene. If evidence had been wanting, there was plenty to show that the man Lena Morgan had left her father’s roof for, years before, had been one of noble integrity and _ worth If Mrs Laurence had been of a bright and joyous nature before her husband’s death, she lost it when she lost him. It seemed as though the recollection of her loss was over present; and though at times she would laugh with something like the ring of merriment, yet directly afterwards her face would wear its usual qniet gravity of expression. We knew, then, when Colonel Ramsay visited Mainowen day after day, to sit for half an hour talking to Lena, that a bitter disappointment awaited him if he hoped to her love It came at last, and then she told him kindly, but firmly, that she never intended to many again; that she had no love to give, except to her father and her child; that all else was buried with the noble head which lay sleeping on Its coral pillow in an ocean grave. And so wo knew that the brightness of her life was past, and we could guess what their love had been. I had begged very earnestly for our marriage to take place early in May, but the first intimation that I was no longer my own master was given me when Jane was fixed npon instead. Towards the end of May I started for Castle Roydon, accompanied by Pat Doolan, to see tban everything was done that hands could do to make the old place look worthy of its beautiful young mistress. As I stood once more under the roof I had left long years ago, the past seemed all a dream, and it seemed as though I had never been without the love that had crowned my life. I did not stay long at Roydon; a few days, and I was back again at Mainowen. •Look what I have brought for you !’ I said, on the evening of my arrival, after I had sufficiently admired my treasure, putting a large square case into the little hands 1 had so o’ten watched and always loved* l ‘ Oh Archie ! ’ she exclaimed, as the Verelst diamonds lay shining and gleaming on their beds of velvet before her She t .ok up the necklet, and held it in her bauds a few seconds, looking at it dreamily, as if she did not see it; then it dropped upon the floor and lay there, a mass of light,_ as she turned to me and laid her head against my breast. ‘Archie,’ she whispered, 100 not care for them, I do not care for anything but you and your love. Are you quite sure, darling, that your old dream has gone. that you love me, only me, with all your heart?’ , . ~ , ‘My darling, I cannot tell you how much I love |on-too much I sometimes think. May; and as for Maud, why I will take you to sea her, and convince you that

II do not love her one bit, now, if yon like.’ ‘No, do not, Archie. I do not want to see her.’ Well, Jane came at last, and the rosea bloomed for my darling to walk upon under the bright bine sky, and through the old moss-covered arch of the little chnrch at Ballybrake. I cannot satiify my fair readers as to my bride’s dress that morning, fir indeed I saw nothing bat a fair, sweet, childish face beneath the white lace, and a loving pair of deep gray eyes. ‘To love, hononr, and obey,' There was no need to bend down the head to cat-h the clear ring of the old, old words. There was no hesitation, no nncertainty about the voice which promised ; and I knew that though I had once mistaken the false tor the real, it was no counterfeit now. -* # # # It is four years since I wrote the'.above, and wo have long been at Castle Roydon. We have not been quite without soirow, as a wee coffin in the ancient family vault can testify; but the sunshine of a perfect love shines through all and over all. If some raindrops must fall into each human life, never doubt but that beyond the cloud and beyond the sky the sun is still shining.