LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2411, 27 December 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

AN IBON WELCOME. [From "All the Year Bound."] 1 Mrs Trehearne ia coming home to Bight.' ' The equire ia bringing his wife home at last, and we shall see what we shall tee.' • The master's a bold man, sure 'nougb, and the ladv'll need a stout heart too, if bo be all that's told about the place is true. But then it'd a pack o' lief, most likely ; but the housemaid tip yon—she's Jane Latey's daughter from other side of Gweep—do say that she can't make Miss Treheame out at all now. She never sayß* word good or bad, about her brother's wife, and goes on just as if she wai to be mistress up at Trehearne all her life.' 1 hese aro a few of the remarks and conjectures that are bandied abont among a «roup of loitering, lazy, lounging, simpleminded and mannered, and withal bitterly curious villagers, as they sun themselves against the railings that surround the village pond, on which are disporting languidly the village ducks and geese. The hamlet of Polverrow has not had such a legitimate source of looal excitement for many a long day as this; nauiely, that Mrs Trehearneia coming home to-night. It was shaken to its centre ten years ago when the squire and his stern sister came home, after many years' absence, accompanied by foreign-looking beings who spoke strange tongues, which were unintelligible to the Polverrowltes. And It was much exercised In spirit two years agr> when the rumor came down, through Jane Latey, that the squire had gone np to London and married a beautiful grand yonng lady, and that, in consequenoe of this feat of daring, Miss Trehearne was like a deranged person, " fit to tear her hair." But this news that is reported now exceeds all that is past in thrilling interest, and Polverrow gives itself unhesitatingly to conjecture and idleness for the whole day. The railway has not reached Polverrow. The moorland heights look on Polverrow, and Polverrow looks on the sea. On this sea and by this sea Polverrow chiefly lives. There Is a little vicarage, occupied now by a bachelor locumteoene, perched on a hill at the back of the village, and half a mile farther up the valley there is Trehearne plaoe. Besides these there Is nothing resembling a gentleman's house to be seen for many miles. And to this desolate region Mr Trehearne, the scarcely known equire of the village. Is to bring his wife to-night. A faint hope lightens the hearts of all thore around the duck-pond that Jane Latey may come down to the village shop In the coarse of the day, and give them the latest news of Miss Trehearne's moods and sayings. That these latter will reveal anything that Misa Trehearne does not desire to have revealed is beyond their wildest expeotationß, bnt they feel that It Is important that they should be posted up in the utterances of the only person who knows why Mr and Mrs Treherne are coming home now, and why they have stayed away so long. By-and-by, quite late In the afternoon, when the hope that she would come baa waxed faint and low, Jane Latey's well-known best hat, surmounted by a blue bow and a yellow feather, appears in sight. Fashion penetrates even to Polverrow, bat she behaves here in a graceless, flighty, lunatic way, that she is never guilty of In the haunts of men. Hence Jane Latey's hat and bow and feather, the work of local talent, which has been cruelly deceived and fooled by the mischievous goddess, Fashion. At sight of Miss Latey, the group round the duck pond brightens np, and one or two of them address her with the cordiality people are apt to display towards the pereon who can gratify their heart's desire. ' Where be gwoin, Jane, In suoh a harry like?' one of the women says heartily, and then ehe goes on to tempt Jane to linger by speaking of a certain hot loaf and cup of tea which are in her cottage hard by. Jane halts irresolutely, and murmurs something about Miss Trehearne wanting some big nails aod screws from the shop at once.

' House all ready for the new missus, then ?' another woman suggests encouragingly. • Yes,' Jane avows with pride, * the house is all ready, and as beautiful ae anything she (Jane) has ever aeon in all her born days !' which is doubtless true. ' Even to the table being laid for dinner with spoons and forks and glasses enough for thirty, let alone they three that are to sit down to it,' Jane goes on. ' And what brings 'em home now, all of a sudden like this?' ' Mies Trehearne is olose as wax, and hasn't opened her lips to living soul about the matter.' A mild-eyed affectionate-looking woman standing near timidly throws out the suggestion that ' Miss Trehearne must be main glad to have her own coming baok to her own again,' but her remark Is received with derision. It is Jane Latey's opinion, founded on close observation, that Miss Trehearne would sooner have heard that her brother's wife was at the bottom of the sea than that she was coming home to-night. ' But no one knows what Miss Trehearne really means and feels but Miss Treheaene herself,' Jane says, hurrying off to get the nails and screws, as a vision of Miss Trehearne in an impatient mood presents itself before her. Meanwhile the Flying Dutchman is bringing the master of Trehearne and his wife westward rapidly. There is nothing in her appearance as she sits in a corner of the carriage environed with scent bottles, and fans, and dust cloaks, and cheap editions of popular novels, to aooount for the intense interest which has been concentrated upon her during the last two years. A pretty, well-dressed woman with hazel eyes and hair to harmonise with them, she has not much force or feeling or thought in her fair smooth face. Why should her coming or going make a stir at Polverrow and Trehearne ? Her husband sits opposite to her; a rather Bad-eyed gentleman with an irresolute mouth, and a languid delioate manner that would befit his sister bettor than her own. As the boundflry line between Devon and Cornwall is pissed, he grows perceptibly nervous, and at length, as she makes no oomment on the fact, though he has acquainted her with it, he says,' ti elen, look about you, dear. Tell me if you feel that you will be happy in this region which is to be your home f ' We haven't come to the plaoe yet,' she says, looking up hastily with gay, good humored unconcern ; ' you've told me I have to drive ten miles from the last station to Trehearne, so I haven't oome into 'my own cauntrie' yet.' ' Nell, love it as your own country; be happy here for heaven's sake ! But for you I would never have come back.'

' Why ?' she asks, surprised a little, bat not deeply interested. • "Why ? Because from my ohildhood the home at Trehearne has been a cold and chilling home to me. I have never known love and freedom in it. I h»ve known peace—' 'Roland I' she is unteignedly interested now, and direotly she wakes up and throws off her air of fashionable languor she is a oharming as well as a pretty woman. ' Roland I I thought your sister adored you? She is always writing to you, and always watching your interests.' 'But she does not love me. Nell,' he says sorrowfully; ' she has given her youth and her own hopes of happiness to my welfare because I am the present representative of the family; but she doesn't love me, and, poor child, she'll hate you !' ' I'll pull down hate, and build up love and confidence in its stead.'

'The task is beyond you, Nell, he says despondently, and then for a few minutes he takes himself to task wearisomely and bitterly for doing or saying aught that may depress her, or give her an unfavourable impression of his old home and his own race. ' Have yon no other relations, Roland ? Do you two stand alone ? ' ' We two stand alone,' he says stiffly.

'Being the only brother and sister, you ought to love each other,' she says meditatively, and then she clears up, and with a bright, ' Well, anyway, I hope she'll like me,' Sirs Trehearne settles to her book again, and neglects the scenery. It is aeyen o'clock before they reach Tre-1 hearne. A few enterprising spirits in the \ villages have mooted the idea that it would: "be a pretty thing to meet the squire at the; boundary of bis estate, take the horses out, and,like good and true Polverrowites as they; are, draw the master and his wife home. Bnt < the plan falls to the ground, not throagh, being negatived by any master-spirit, but simply through the natives' inability to act i with promptitude and decision when the); time is limited. So the squire and his wife drive up to the entrance doors of Trehearne

in peace and comfort. The old hall is vast and imposing, but It ia badly lighted, and Mrs Trehearne, going in with perplexed mind and bewildered vipion, cannot quite discern the difference between the effigies of' menin-armour of the past and the rigid row of servants in the present. But her movements are graceful, and her voice gracious, as she sayß a few well'meant words, which convey no one definite idea to the minds of her hearers. And then she lookß at her husband and sayß : 1 I thought your sister lived here, Roland ? She can't know we have come.' Hesitatingly, and as If he were almost afraid to do It, the master of Trehearne turns to the primmest of the grim servants and asks him—' Where is Miss Trehearne ; Will you 101 l her we have arrived .' 'Miss Trehearne U in her usual place, sir,' the man replies gravely. And something In his foreign accent and forbidding mien gives Mrs Trehearne the feeling that this place is very strange, and will never have a home-like charm for her. ' I will go and see Priscilla first, Nell darling,' Mr Trehearne Bays ; ' and prepare her for meeting you. She has been the mistress here for a long time,' he adds apologetically ; and then, fearful that he may have hurt the sensitive heart of his wife, he coos on to say something abont ' Prisollla little knowing how gently she will be superseded.' 'I will go to my own rooms. I suppose I may do that before yonr sister comes,' Mrs Trehearne says in not unnaturally piqued tones, and instinctively she singles out Jane Latey, the broad honest-faced Cornish girl, to be her guide, in preference to the two or three sombre-looking Italian women who have sedulously kept themselvea apart from the natives dnrlng their long term of residence at Trehearne. ITo be continued)