LITERATURE.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1087, 17 September 1883, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A DRAWING-ROOM COMEDY.

( Concluded .) “ Well, this is awful 1” reflected her husband as soon as he was left alone. “She doesn’t recognise me, and apparently she doesn’t seem to care for ■ YUe much.She reminds me that There' are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it. : That, I suppose, means that if I would only .die and, liberate her, she would promptly marry some one else. A nice instance of the failhlessness'of . ; , women I; Perhaps I should dp well to leave her at once, and never, let her know the truth ; but I can’t db‘ that. • I love her still; indeed, I’m afraid; I love her more than I ever did. No; I will see this affair to the end. If she is unfaithful I will .find her outj and then—-” •' , His meditations were cut short by the return of his wife, who informed d. bitti that she-liad ordered some luncheon, and that,he .must meanwhile do his best to amuse her, as there Was no one else ... "in fhe house except the servants. This style, off yonyprsalion;,made Tom more aria more reckless; and at once he launched out into an account of on imaginary moonlight picnic at Aden, where—so f he let it''appear—he had broken the hearts of several charming :i girls, and upon the whole hail behaved : in - a highly reprehensible m inner. “ It must have-been very delightful,” said Mrs Bilbury. “ I wish I had been there‘l Soirietirnes we have very pleaSiint evenings here. Of course, I know : i v every . one in-the neighbouihpod;; and, , ns a married woman, .Lask-wlipm 3D like to my.-house,, /You, must come ,one I;,night, jMr Tjlbnry, and, sup with. Us ' afterward.” > By .this time Tom was perfectly frantic. “ I’m afraid I shan’t be here for long,”; he -said ’bitterly. “ I am going abroad; I cannot rest anywhere.” * ’ Yon are worried; v I J se(f/’' said Mrb Bilbury. “ I can sympathize with you.” . “ Yes, family matters and disappointmerits,;you know.” ! ? " ; 1: “ '“'Disappbiritmehts ! . But you are ’ i and, ifyou will excuse me; not vUbad-lookirig.? iPerhaps you have merely ■, lost, your/heart to .one of the. young ' Oh* n®,” he replied, “ And,,.to tell the truth, I am d6ribtful whether any woman would be worth worrying about.” V “Don’t be cynical,” said Mrs Bilbury with a smile.; “ Perhaps yon expect too ..much from women.” i “ I 'eipect sympathy, fidelity and ’ consideration/’ answered Mr Bilbury '■; ,:, gi[|voiyi/' T ;/ J ;; ,r ” “ But, let me ask you, dp/you .jburv -self .indulge - in these..virtues,?- Ah ! men are very inconsistent, ! fear. However, I hope yon don’t believe that women are bad as a rifle. ■r it 'Well;* I know to triy cost that some are bad. Yes; some even betray their husbfucls,’ , • J ‘‘And in such cases I’m afraid the, , husbands arc also to blame.” :: if; ‘‘ I drin’t:think so,” said Tom curtly. “But yon* are worrying yourself,; 1 see, although you try to affect indifference. JVhat is it ?” “ Worrying mygelf ?• Not a bit cried Mr Bilbury./ / “ I ain glad to/hbar yon say so,” relumed his - wi(e.i/“ I don’t worry myself. Cozy suppers and”— ' “ But/ the probable death of your husband !” intejaculated Mr Bilbury. ; Qh,l3.rim:iphilosophical.i We only lived together fprtwo days;.we onjy knew riacFblher for a few weeks. Whkt apt JL lilfiis “•'‘"‘" S “i That, ris | rathec. ; plainspeaking,” thought Tom. “ I wonder whether she would like to get up a flirtation with will draw*heron a little.” ! j .«'Ah'!”" he said aloud; , j‘ypn have within '* jjjpr and you another, n .happy;, It is npt /.eyery -man ; who is;.,son fortunate; as lo >•?-meetiwith.-a woman i like you. Now,| I ; ;; confess i have' been unfortiiriate In‘my experience. I thought that 11 might hope for your sympathy”— J Ul> “ t ß.acely,..;Mr^;-T^lbary,,'4^!pe unwomanly of me to refuse iti” | * Tom drew his chair nearer to that of confirmed; “ Oh ? if, I might hopb* (for ybrir arid look for your regard and 'pity, my . dear Mirs • 'Bilbury; life, I assure you; would soon . assupae a new complexion to my eyes. Betjus be-;plain.... r pan yon not make' mp bestow your sympathy, j; yqnrrloye/and yoiir pity upon one who , / Will ’gifts-at their true worth,” Mrs Bilbury, evidently agitated> rose. ° ‘jE&ally/* she exclaimed, “ I [■ rijepared- for all - • this. - •; I feel.,’ the neOd / Of TOyeVJove as’yours ;; but—f” 7 l,f anci she face in his hands.; ’ fiThis/’ thought Mr Bilbury to him- - self, “ is my faithful and devoted wife 1” yetite ing himself beside Lydia and putting , ;i ‘ ; lm' arm round hrir waist. > “ Dear Mrs Bilbury,” he said, ; “ I love yon ! Do yon; can you; love me ?” j 1 . She gave a scarcely perceptible ; ’ gesture of .assent; and”, Tom, now ’/.'th'oroqghly '‘cprivipjijed. of bis wife’s unirnstworthiness, sprang up and confronted her. ; be f said, ;what would your husbapd- { sny to this 7 Yon have disgraced him 1”, ....... 1 She'looked,up and held out her hands imploringly. “You are a vicious woman 1” be continued unrelentingly, ; li ‘VTheri; why, just now, did yon ask for my love ?” she demanded. “ Because I wanted to assure myself that you were as vicious and worthless as I now know you to be. As for loving yori-rl despise you ! Ah ! if yon were’ only a good woman !” And he approached her and took her by the hand. For an instant he stood thus; then he raised the hand and kissed it, / an(l ; finally he kissed his wife on the cheek. •“ Are yon going, Mr Tilbury ? ’ she ! asked. , Yes ; I had better go ; it is for the best; We could not be happy. Good-

by !” He kissed her again, and then moved slowly" away to the door, where he stood, painfully regarding her. “ Good-by !” she echoed. ‘‘ But,” she continued; in another voice, “ Tom !” “Tom!” repeated Mr Bilbury, starting' a.nd colouring. “ Who told you my name was Tom ?” “ You did, you foolish fellow,” about two years ago. “ And yon know me,” he cried, as he ■quickly'returned i to her. “ Yon have known me all along?” “ No ;? I did not; kr ow- yon until yon told me that tremendous story about the tiger. There was no mistaking you then !” By this tune Mr and Mrs Bilbury were embracing each other so affectionately that the conversation' was rendered very fragmentary and disjointed. It is, therefore, almost impossible to chronicle what they said ; but it is certain that they forgave each other, and it is a .matter of notoriety that there has since been no happier couple on Richmond Hill.— Chambers' Journal.