LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1905, 2 April 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A CONSERVATIVE PROVIDENCE. fRy Pekdkagon.] ( Concluded .) Chapter VI. Although Charles Bloomfield, cabman, had no notion of the existence of Sir Josiah Jubblethorpo, Bart, M.P., Sir Josiah was well aware of Bloomfield. He had been attracted by the man’s statement as published in the police report, and this and the knowledge that one of the wicked Dnke’s grand-daughters h=>d married a Bloomfield, grandson of the Earl of Clonmactipperarity, set him thinking. Here was a lineal descendant of his great grandfather’s murderer —as much a lineal descendant as the possessor of the title himself—whose position left him entirely at the mercy of the baronet. The duty he had sworn to do called alond within him, especially as it was now so comparatively easy. Bat how was it to be done ? He could not stoop to rake up grievances with a common cabman ; besides, if he did, It might come out that the family quarrel was as we know it to be, which wouldn’t pay at all. No; and so a good deal of time was lost in thinking of a means of revenge which would make the duke’s descendants no less a sufferer, but which would leave the secret still nntold even to Bloomfield himself.

At last he hit upon an expedient. He would hire Bloomfield’s cab, and drive about from place to place. To get up a dispute wi f h a cabman, after a long ride with many stoppages, would be no difficulty ; and as Sir Josiah was not only a baronet and M.P., but was, by virtue of his country house, a J.P. also, and as he considered that in such a cause a little hard swearing was allowable, he thought sufficient vengeance might be obtained to enable him to consider he had done his duty. Not unnaturally, Sir Josiah imagined that the greatest possible vengeance one can take upon a cabman 5a to have him convicted on the one day of his life when he happens to be innocent.

Singularly, though, he never could get hold of 810. mfield’a cab. He used to see it often enough standing idle before he had made up his mind what coarse to parsne, but afterwards fate seemed steadily bent on frustrating him. Either Bloomfield had just got a fare, or had just had one; he was going home to change hordes, or had gone ; he was out on the drink, or down at the police station. When Sir Josiah did see him disengaged, Sir Josiah was not prepared to engage him; and though once or twice the baronet was on the point of jumping out of his own well-appointed carriage and pair, and hailing the cabman his better sense prevailed and he determined to wait until the proper opportunity arrived. And as time still kept Tanning on, and as Sir Josiah’s family kept growing up, his eldest daughter “ came ont” while yet the deed remained to be done.

f ir Josiah’a eldest daughter was a beautiful girl, with all the attributes of high birth, and both her father and mother often used to point to her as one of the triumphs of blue blood and true Conservative principles. Lady Jnbblethorpe said she renewed her own youth in her, and Sir Josiah was sure she ought never to look lower than a duke for a husband, with her prospects. Little did he know that Belinda had already plighted her troth and sworn to bs true to a nameless adventurer but little older than herself; in fact, no other than one of her father’s clerks, and no other clerk than John Duke himself. John Duke had made much use of his opportunities, and though still only a clerk, waa in a much better position than when he had entered the house. He waa now twentyone, and the salary he received enabled him to set off the natural advantages of hia figure with what in the city are considered fashionable clothes. In the course of hia juniorship he had to go backwards and forwards between the office and Sir Josiah’s private house. There he had seen Belinda. He worshipped her for a long while in silence, and afterwards by bribes succeeded in getting skilfully written letters conveyed to her. Then she saw him, and, though she knew he was only a clerk, loved him in return, and after many solicitations agreed to fly with him. She was romantic, and had no fear but that when she returned with the man of her choice, and knelt imploring her father’s blessing, he would say—- * Arise, my children. Here is half of all I have. John, from this day you are my partner in the business on even terms. Bless you both. ’ She had seen something like this in a play which purported to represent real life, and had even gone so far as to rehearse the attitude she would assume, and the manner in which, having received her father’s blessing, she would throw herself in her mother’s arm, and be borne fainting from the room. She was indeed romantic. Though Sir Josiah knew he had a clerk named John Duke, ha never once suspected the lad would look on his daughter, except from a moat respectful distance ; he never in his wildest momenta dreamt that John Duke was the only Duke his daughter intended to marry. He never imagined that John Duke waa the sou of his intended victim, Bloomfield, the cabman, and the lineal descendant of the wicked, otherwise the great and famous, Duke of Dcublefoot. Chapter VII. At last the love of the young couple became so strong that they could bear it no longer, so they agreed to get married at once, more especially as Belinda’s mamma began to think it was high time her daughter selected one of the numerous society suitors who were always hanging about after her. So she wrote a most penitent letter to her father, and departed early one morning, walking most demurely to where John Duke was waiting round the corner, with a fourwheel cab and the heavy luggage, which had been conveyed from the paternal roof the night before. Besides the luggage John had get a special license to be married, and away they went to where the parson was expecting them, with witnesses at half a guinea each, and a respectable couple to give the bride away at double the price ; and for once the course of true love seemed to run as smooth as an exception should which only exists for the purpose of proving the correctness of the rule.

Bat, alas! the best laid plans go wrong at times. The maid to whom Belinda had _ entrusted her letter incautiously delivered it at once ; and the wretched father, on reading it, rushed off to the nearest cab-stand, as he couldn’t wait for his own carriage, every moment being most precious. By a singular coincidence, the only hansom on the rank was that of his enemy ; and as ha jumped in Sir Josiah could not help thinking how different he had expected his feelings to be when, at la«t, he obtained possession of the vehicle and told the man to drive on to his doom. Belinda, never thinking her letter would be delivered bo early, had said where they were to be married, and where they ware going afterwards for the honeymoon trip ; so he felt sure of catching the fugitives, and prayed more fervently than ever he had previously prayed that it might be before the solemn knot was tied. Yet he couldn’t shake off from his mind how strange it was that he should now be driven by the very man against whom he had nurtured most diabolical feelings —a man who had personally never done him the slightest injury. How strange, indeed, he would have thought it if at the moment he had known all. As it was, he would have wept tears of heartfelt contrition, had there been time, and he had thonght it would have inelined Providence towards the preservation of his daughter. As the cab dashed up to the house where the marriage was to take place, he saw the happy pair coming out. Ho was, in fact, just in time to be too late. ‘My father I’ shrieked the bride, and fainted.

« My son !’ growled the cabman ; and then said What’s the row, guv’nor V ‘ Your son !’ cried the miserable baronet. ‘My sin has indeed found me out 1’ And then he saw the hand of fate, and fainted The insensible bodies were carried into the house, and in due course both recovered consciousness. John Duke, who knew nothing beyond that he was a cabman s son, expected to be handed over to the police at once, and that the Lord Chancellor or the Archbishop of Canterbury would annul the marriage. Be was therefore much astonished when Sir Josiah, after a terrible struggle with himself, during which he had to be bled and blistered by a student who lived in the he use, and was glad of the opportunity f„ r practice, called hia daughter to h'tn. and taking her hand, placed it in that of John, with the remark, • ’Xia destiny. Bless yen, my children!

At this, the great grandson of a dnbe, whcr had bo'--n helping himself pretty freely at the sideb ard gave three cheers, and said he ‘ always knew what would come of sticking to Conservative principles.’ Then he rushed to his cab, and drove off without asking for bis fare, and got three months' during the day for drunkenness and fnriona driving, which sentence was cancelled on its being proved he really was the second cousin of a duke. His career gave rise to many newspaper comm. nts on the score of aristocratic eccentricity, and the tendency all noble minds have for driving horses. Sir Josiah didn't die—at least not then. He gave_ his mind to concocting the following special paragraph for the morning papers, where it duly appeared in large type, and not among the ordinary marriages :

* A Family Feod Happily En'ded —On the 14th instant there was married, by special license, at the bridegroom’s residence, Belinda, eldest daughter of Josiah Jnbblethorpe, Bart., M.P., J.P , one of Her Majesty’s Commissioners for th« Consideration of Contracts, to John Duke B 1 omfield. Esq., great grandson of Lord Frederick and Lady Emily Blnnderpate, great great grandson of the Earl of Clonmac-tipperarity and cousin twice removed to the present Duke of Doubleloot It is to be hoped that friends at a distance will please accept this intimation. ’

And failing the announcement as it origir ally appeared, I trust they will do so now.