LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 299, 28 May 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

TOLD ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Chapter I. VIOLET SILVER. It had its commencement like a romance of Fairy Land, amongst the roses and in the moonlight. A great emerald bank overhung a vast lake, fringed at its foot with a golden beach, and crowned with great pines, mingling their spicy incense with the breath of the roses, swinging their crimson blossoms in the garden midway up the steep, where, on a natural terrace, glimmered the white walls of a pretty house. A wide lawn sloped to the beach, bordered with guelder-rose-trees and acacias, shedding pearly globes and drooping feathery blooms in the air, heavy with dewy perfume ; and two or three beeches echoed back the sleepy murmur of the lake, as their leaves rustled softly in the passing wind. From this wide lawn a maze of winding paths led in and out through glowing alleys of roses. Every kind of rose that ever blushed beneath the sun, or gently swayed in the summer breeze, was there. Hence it was that Mr Arnold Silver's pretty villa by the inland lake was called " The Roses."

A hedge of dwarf myrtle enclosed this radiant spot; and, for artistic contrast with the masses of bloom within, some melancholy yew-trees stood darkly beyond the gates. This night the scene was inexpressibly beautiful. The moonlight poured down a flood of pale silver radiance, mingling with the traces of the sunset in the west, the pink hue deepening to amethyst where it kissed the lake; and over head was the deep blue of the sky, decked with shining stars.

Far out on the lake a boat glided phantomlike across the diamond track of the moonlight, which seemed leading to the mysterious amethyst gates of the dim horizon. The lights of the villa, poised midway up the hill, sent lances of red light deep into the placid bosom of the night, whose wind was odorous with the scent|of flowers. A fountain opposite the drawing-room windows threw a column of water upwards, its spray, as it fell again, flashing like diamonds in the moonlight. And on the basin's marble margin stood a tall slender girl in a white dress, her arm over the neck of a white doe, at the feet of which crouched a fawn with great dusky eyes and a collar tinkling with silver bells round its graceful neck.

This was Violet Silver, the only child and heiress of Arnold Silver, the younger of those two great merchants, " Silver Brothers," who, as the fairy tales say, " might have eaten gold every day," or, like the famous king and queen, have occupied themselves principally in " counting out their money," and found plenty of work at the same pleasant task Violet looked in the moonlight what the "garish day" would still behold her; a beautiful girl of winning loveliness, perfect in form and feature. Tall and lithe was she, with a pirre face of delicate hue and contour, and dark blue eyes that could either flash or smile.

When the caprice was on her, she could be haughty as you please, and walk through the world with her head up to scorn the earth. This only accurred when her father, Mr Arnold Silver, wrought himself to a pitch of despotism : forbidding her to skate on the lake (that other lake at their winter residence) when the ice was rotten, or refusing to let her ride her favorite vicious horse, Thunderer, or interfered in some other atrocious way. But latterly Violet had seemed much subdued.

Whose are those lines so happy in their simplicity?— " Peace charmed the street beneath her feet, And honor charmed the air, And all astir looked kind on her, And called her good as fair !"

They describe that sweet Violet, that nine-teen-year-old sylph, with the sinless brow and the radiant young eyes, better than words of mine could, though I wrote with a diamond pen. As she stood there, still as a statue under the moon, the two dumb companions at her feet, they looked like some lovely group of enchanted creatures suddenly turned to forms of pearl by the potent wave of a geni's hand. Heaven alone knows what sublime thoughts made the girl's countenance so angelic, as her shining eyes went from star to star, her lips parted with breathless thought. ' Fairy,' she said, coming out of her reverie, and patting the velvet skin of the snowy doe with her hand, 'we like the moonlight sometimes, don't we? Especially when there are no ridiculous Charlies near to talk nonsense and disturb our meditations. Ah, ' mention an angel, and hear the flutter of its wings!'' she broke off. ' Speak of Charlie, and smell his cigar!' Charles Silver, her cousin, was emerging from the open French window of the diningroom. She turned to regard him Avith a glance curiously compounded of sunshine and shade—a subtle shade; not tangible enough to be called melancholy, but something very like it, in her great violet eyes. He did not speak as he came up to her, but seated himself on the marble brim in silence. She caught the look of vexation on his countenance.

' There is something the matter, Charlie!' said she. 'lt is nothing about that, is it?' 'lt just is about that,' replied Charles Silver, ruefully. ' The two have been at it, hammer and tongs, ever since you left the table ! For my benefit, of course.' And Mr Charles Silver groaned, and ran his fingers desperately through his crisp brown hair.

'Well,' said Violet, with spirit, 'I suppose I am to be consulted in the affair. I wonder at papa !' and a great Hush swept over her face and neck, and stained the pretty hand lying on Fairy's collar. ' You'd wonder more had you been there,' remarked Charlie, gloomily. 'We are to be married on Day, my young lady.' * What ?' demanded Violet. ' I shall be of age then, you know.'

' What ?' repeated Violet, her bosom heaving, Ler eyes Hashing, her cheeks flaming like scarlet roses.

'lt is perfectly true !' said Charles. ' I'm sure I am as sorry for the worry as you can be, Violet.' 4 You don't think I am going to marry you, do you, sir ?' ' They don't want either of us to think at all, as it seems to me,' was his answer. 'lt is awfully hard on us both, and—and on Daisy too, you know.'

' What did papa say ?' demanded Violet, imperiously, ' Though you are my cousin, I think you are a coward, Charles Silver !' 'Do you ? Sorry for that. Uncle Arnold held out a little : he thought we might be allowed a voice in the matter, you and I. But—you know my father, Violet! He put on one of those iron looks ; and—and you needn't call a fellow names. I'd like very much to see you tell my father to his face that you'd not do as he wished.' ' Oh!' said Violet, stretching out her round white arm like a young sibyl, her nostrils dilating as though there were the breath of coming war in the air, ' I am not his daughter, and I am not afraid. If you promise faithfully to be as brave as I am, why—you will marry Daisy Leighton in time.'

'l'll promise anything you like,' said Charles. 'As to Daisy, I intend to marry her. But for her, I should only have been too glad to take you, Violet. A fellow can't help these things, you know.' 'Thank you!' said Violet, with superb disdain, elevating her pretty nose toward the stars. ' You need not apologise.' ' The worst of it is, I dare not say a word to Daisy while things are in this state,' grumbled he. 'lt might lead to no end of a complication." 'As to me,' said Violet, fractiously, 'I— I shall go into a convent or something, as soon as you are married, and ' With my hand on my bosom, my head on my knee, Sing willow, willow, willow.'' ' Oh, come,' said Charlie, much aggrieved at the tone; ' what with you and my father, I shall begin to wish I was dead. I'll go for a sailor!'

'Will you?' '"Sou kuow, Violet, I care for you as though you were my sister; and you turn me into ridicule without mercy! If I had a huge black moustache like some people, it would be different!' he added significantly. ' I know. I have seen.'

Violet turned very pale in the moonlight. She sank down on the ledge of the fountain beside her cousin, and, taking his hand between her soft palms, laid her pretty cheek against it.

' Chai-lie, dear.' she said softly, ' you have just said you are fond of me.' 'Yes,' said Charlie, considerably mollified. ' I am fonder of you than of any one in the world —Daisy excepted.' ' Then you must promise never, never, never to—to allude to that again. Think of the fuss there'd be! Be quiet, Charles! jou must not turn against me. I'll tell about you and Daisy if you do. You have your secrets, sir, and surely I may have mine. Promise—until I give you leave.' 'I promise,' said Charles Silver, who was the easiest-natured fellow in the world. ' But, Violet, do you think it's just the thing to meet him in the way you do? Nobody knows the man.'

Violet turned to caress Fairy, and so hid her bright blush from her cousin. 'Never mind, Charlie,' she said, with a little quiver in her sweet young voice ; 'you maybe quite at rest- You know I would not do anything that's wrong ?' ' Of course, I know that.'

' Very well. Then, as I say, you may be at rest. Go in and play your evening game at chess with Daisy, there's a good fellow : if we both stay out they may miss us. Oh, Charles !' she added, with impressive, almost solemn earnestness, as she took both his hands, ' you do not know all the interests that are at stake. Papa and Uncle Aurelius must suspect nothing.' ' I don't like mysteries,' returned Charles Silver. ' But I suppose I must depend upon you, Violet.'

'You may,' -was the emphatic answer. And Violet once more laid her hand on Fairy's neck; while the fawn gambolled around, shaking airy peals from the silver bells.

Charles Silver, throwing away the end of his cigar, returned to the house. JI c pushed backed the lace draperies of the drawingroom window, and stood at the shoulder of a tiny little creature, a girl of eighteen, with a Zingaree-like face and great, melancholy, dark eyes. She was sitting on a low ottoman, gazing blankly at the opposite wall, her slender brown hands clasped idly on a heap of glowing roses, which she had been pulling from a Sevres vase on a marble stand at her side. This was Daisy Leighton. She was in deep mourning, and looked a pathetic, dark little phantom in the glow and brightness of the pretty room. On the death of her father, she had come to the house of her guardian, Mr Arnold Silver. That was only three months ago; and she and Charles had employed the time in falling in love with each other—which would have been regarded as high treason by the authorities, and the young people knew it. She heard Charles Silver's step; and a slight quiver ran through her slender frame, and a dusky rose crept into her lovely face; but she did not turn until he touched her arm very lightly. Then she slowly moved her eyes to his handsome young face. He was very like Violet, only that the brow was hardly so wide, or the outline of the chin at once so firm and delicate. It was a pleasant, lovable face, however, frank and bright, as the face of the young should be; but a shadow darkened it as Daisy Leighton's eyes met his. He drew back a little from her, her face was so full of fire, such a tempest of jealous rage lightened her dilated eyes. The fact was, things had been all at cross-purposes lately, and Daisy had caught up the idea that Charles had been only playing with her—that he had deserted her for his cousin. Daisy rose, letting the roses fall in a mass to the carpet. She flung out her little hand, as though appealing against him. ' Traitor!' she said, between her little white teeth, • coward and traitor! I saw you with her by the fountain.' Charlie's dark blue eyes assumed a look of mingled anger and perplexity. • Upon my word, Daisy!' ho said in a low tone, " what next ? lam quite tired of these fits of temper. Is it jealousy?—of Violet ? What a silly child you are !" She looked at him with a singular smile, her dark face paling to the very lips. Charles took her hands tenderly in his : he stooped until his brown hair touched hers. There could be no mistake made by any spectator then as to where his true love was given. And, unfortunately, there was a spectator. His father had entered silently, and stood there in the shade of the large room, looking on, ~ (T« be continued.) :