LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 604, 26 May 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

LOCH VIEW. A TALE IN THREE PARTS. {Continued ) My cheeks flushed with indignation as I thought of it all. Alice had wound her web so skilfully, that the unthinking fl> was nearly entangled. Perhaps, had I been thinking less of Hester Carew, I might have been more alive to the danger. I pictured Janet shaking her wise head at me, and exclaiming : ' Ye would not heed me, Maister Alec, but I told ye these misses, with their fine wavs, and their feathers and gewgaws, would b ) wanting ye for your title. Ah ! ye know but little of the wicked world.' Then I thought of Jessie Duncan. How her merry blue eyes would sparkle, as, with one of her silvery peals of laughter, she would torment and tease me in her mocking way : ' Poor Cousin Alec ! I always told you, you never could be trusted all alone, to take care of yourself.' After long ruminations, I decided the wisest plan was to back out of my dilemma as speedily as possible, and, as a first step, I made myself anything but congenial that evening. Mrs Cornish came to meet me as I went in. ' Here's Mr. Allen at last ! We are waiting for you to get up a set of Lancers ; and Alice wants you to sing a duet with her -' But I would neither sing nor dance—l am ashamed to say how disagreeable I was—l plunged myself at once into the midst of a conversation Mr. Cornish and Sandy were holding together—a long dreary conversation, that made me for the first time understand how thoroughly heavy and dull the interchange of words can be made. How wonderfully people are gifted with the power of boring one another ! I stood it all patiently, knowing I deserved such a Nemesis, and felt truly relieved, when, in a most subdued state of mind, I took my seat beside Sandy in the dogcart, and drove homeward in the bright moonlight. Dick did not come with u *; and I think I heard his footstep on the stairs about three o'clock in the morning, as he crept cautiously up to his room. Part 111. After the evening of the garden party, things, somehow, did not go on smoothly in Mrs Forbes's house, and I daresay I was a little to blame in the matter. In the first place, I withdrew myself from the conspicuous position I had too often taken beside Alice, and she withdrew her smiles accordingly. Many and broad were the hints that ere long fell from the maternal lips about the state of her daughter's health and spirits. 'Something,' said she, 'preys on dear Alice's mind, Mr Allen, for I'm sure her

arlment is a mental one, she pines away in such a hopeless kind of manner. Will you try and find out what is the cause of her depression ? I'm sure she always makes quite a confident of you, and she would be certain to tell you.'

But I did not accept Mrs Forbes's permission 1o pry into her daughter's secrets; rather, I kept as much as possible out of the way. Early at office, and late in returning, never had Mr Forbes found such a willing helper before ; and the deeper I went into the work, the more I was puzzled at the number of things Sandy had in hand. I heard of shares in joint stock companies—of companies that had collapsed, or which were about to be floated—of financial agencies, of commercial panics, and so many other terms, that I marvelled much at the multitude of irons Mr Forbes had in the fire ; but I did not then suspect how too many irons are very apt to exhaust the vitality of the coals, and put the fire out altogether. I admired the versatility of his genius, and was amazed at the wide range of his ambitions, that spread far away out cf the usual well trodden but safer path. One evening there was to be a musical party at the square—not a large one, for Mrs Forbes said: * Dear Alice could not bear the fatigue of a crowd, while her health was so shaken.'

I felt this was a thrust at me, and had a flush of consciousness on my check as I turned away from the lady, and retreated to the library, where I hoped to have a little quiet reading before the company arrived. But it was not my good fortune to read a single page that evening, for, ere I had seated myself, I heard the door softly open, then a rustle of silk and a faint sigh. Turning round, I saw Miss Merritt had come in, and that she was dressed for the party. ' Oh, I only want an almanac from the shelf, Mr Allen; pray, don't let me disturb you.'

She was stretching up to a shelf rather above her reach, so I started over to assist her.

' There, now ;I am disturbing you. How stupid of me ! and your time is so very precious now, Mr. Allen.'

' Yes; I doa't find much time to spare. This is the almanac, I think.'

' Thank you very much. But do tell me what I have done to offend yon, Mr. Allen I What has changed you so 7' ' Am I changed ?' * You are indeed ; I would give the world to regain your friendship. What have I done ? What have I done to you ?' A mist, very like tears, had risen in her eyes—at least there was something in her emotion that resembled crying ; and I hate to see a woman cry ; it quite irritates me. Looking at her straight in the face, I suddenly hazarded: * I don't thing Willy Dykes woul approve of your setting such an intense value on my friendship as to wish to give the world to regain it. Ask him if he would, when next yon write to New York.'

I never saw such a change in any one as came over Alice then. The sentimental expression fled from her face, and she turned on me the full force of a pair of passionate, flashing eyes. «Who told you about Willy Dykes ? That viper, Hester Carew, has been tryiog to prejudice you against me.' ' Miss Carew has done nothing of the sort. I never heard her mention Mr Dyke's name.'

' Then somebody has been acting spy, and if I only knew who it was, I'd—l'd* 'Be calm, Miss Merritt. lam not angry at your having a lover in New York—indeed I am glad, and I hope you will both be very happy together some day.—l hear some of the guests arriving. Will you allow iue to lead you up-stairs ?' Alice looked at me a few moments, as if undecided what to do ; then, with a haughty bow, she took my arm, and we walked up the br ad stairs, and reached the drawing room. There I discovered Hester, as usual apart from the others. Seating myself beside her, I asked : ' Have you been signing any of your songs lately ?' • Not once, Mr Allen,' • What a pity ! Why haven't you been practising ?' • Because—oh, because the piano is always locked now.'

• What a horrid Bhame ! I'll speak to Mr Forbes about that.'

' Please, don't, Mr Allen ; promise me not to mention it to him. He's away so often, and he could not possibly help it.' ' Perhaps not. I'm very sorry you can't practise, though, music seems such a pleasure to you.' ' Oh, it is a pleasure—the greatest I know, almost: I never feel tired or unhappy when I'm playing or singing.' We were beginning to enjoy our little conversation, commonplace though it was; but I saw Alice Merritt intently watching us, and presently she whispered something to her mother. So I was not surprised that little Hester was called out of the room soon after, on some pretence or other, to be seen no more that night. * # * . »

Not long after this, Mr. Forbes called me one day into his private office. • Sit down, Master Alec ; I want to have a little talk with you. You recollect you have often urged me to give you a deeper insight into our business; are you still of the same mind ?'

' I certainly am. All the time I have been with you my experience has been most superficial. The merest tyro could have done as much as I have done.'

*lt was needful to give you a first trial, Master Alec. Gentlemen like you don't often settle down to business. When the novelty is over, they throw it up. Now, I have a proposal to make.' He bent over his papers for some time, and then hesitatingly it came out that he wanted me to enter into partnership with him, to share the profits, and likewise —the risks.

1 I have not much money to bring into the concern,' said I. * No, Master Alec; I know that; but your name will have some weight, and we shall be able to extend our connection and influence.'

• I must consult my father about it before I give an answer,' I replied. • You are of age, Master Alec.' • Yes; but all the same I shan't do anything without my father's advice. Yours is a paying business, I presume ?' Sandy looked up from his papers, and his eyes met mine for the first time since our interview. What a hungry, haunted look they had! His face was ghastly, with a strange unnatural whiteness. "W hat in the world had come over the man ? (To ie continued.)