THE LOSS OF THE " SEAGULL."

Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1759, 18 June 1886, Page 5

THE LOSS OF THE " SEAGULL."

By J. Salts Lloyd Like an easi.% upon the w ild coast of Cornwall, lay the estate of Sir Walter Pencourt, restling rehiud somo huge rocks, wh'ch fumed an tiatutal protection from tho rough sea blasts blowing from St G-eorge's Channel. The Percourls of Pencourt were an old family, and proud of their ancient lineage. They were neither rich nor poor, but had means sufiicient to maintain their position in life with every comfort. Ono great sorrow had touched their homo, the death of its much beloved mißtress ; who left to mourn for her, hor husbaud Sir Walter, and three children ; Arthur the son and heir, Leonard the second born, and Lillian tho youngest and pet of all. This sorrow came to thorn when the girl was but ten years of ago, and from ihat time tho devotion of her life had been given to her father. It was Lillian who was his daily and hourly companion. In his study while ho pored over his old books; by his side, mounted on her Jong tailed pony, riding far away down the coast, or over tho Cornish pasture land and boautiful fern-clad tangled lanes. Sailing iv the yacht, pulling with him in the boat — in the largo square pew at church, beside hor mother's grave, Jooking over hia estate — Lillian wps always his little shadow — and so tha girl had grown and grown beneath bis eyes, till she was eighteen j and to him she was still the chiid his wife | had left to his tender care eight long years ago — but to no other eyes was Lilliau Pencourt now a ohild. In truth, she wa3 a rarely beautiful woman. Tall and lissom in figure, she carried her- | self with a certain queenly air all her own. , The smooth easy walk and motion of tbe body, was not to be passed by aa an everyday thing, but called foriDOtice from all who caw it, and the effect was heightened by the simplicity of the girl's dress j for Lillian was no follower of/ashion, but always woro some soft clinging drapery, wbich suited the beautiful bust and slender waist to perfection, with scarce a particle of trimming or adornment — falling in natural folds around her — innocent of flounce, or puff, or pad — and often the sweet face might be seen peeping from under the brim of a little sun hat or bonnet, one could scarcely tell which, it being like all that belonged to her, peculiar to herself. And what a sweet face it was ! Tlie rich dark hair was smooth and abundant, and coiled closely round the small wellshaped head — the marble white brow bidden by neither fringe nor curl. The eyebrows wero straight and pencilled, the lashes long and black and curved, throwing up the deep blue-grey eyes, like atars on a summer night. Pure white pale skin, with just a glow of health shining through, like wild rose tints on the oval cheeks — a short straight nose, a shell-like ear, strong small white teeth peeped from perhaps the most^expressive feature of her face, for Lillian's mouth Bpoke volume's j and beautiful as were tho earnest oxchanting eyes, that little mobile mouth which so vividly expressed the feeling within the girl's heart carried you with it. It was impossible to see Lillian Pencoart suffer, and nor suffer with her — to see her smile, and not smile, too— to. hear her silvery laughter, and not join in it. In truth it would be hard to see her often, and not fall a victim to her lova-compelliog ways. Lillian was not tho only shadow which followed Sir Walter — not leas faithful was his favourite dog Rover, who had, helped him to many a good day's sport, and whose eyes would still strike out sparks of fire at the sight ofjhis master's gun. Miss Pencourt could not be said not to like society, for no one made a more charming hostess, and if you could meet with any one who did not eDJoy a .visit to Pencourt, that person must |have had something eeriously wrong in hia organisation ; but nevertheless, that young lady did not caro for society in the broad acceptation of the word. She was warm-hearted and kind to her friends, but abhorred meaningless flatteries, and all the artificial parts of life, and the uncared lor acquaintances who are to be found in the world. Her world waa her home, and within that sphere she thought everything faultless. She was one of tbe few girls who cannot be persuaded to daEce, even though with auch a figure and movement Bhe would have danced to perfection. Visitors are ready enough to stay at Pencourt, and few of tho sterner sex went away heart-whole } but so far, Lilliau'a gentle mind had not been disturbed by any reflection from the troubled members which those lovers carried away, for ehe waa bo utterly

unconpcious of a deeper meaning on their part th n friendship, thit none carod to risk ' the lops of it for a certain rejection. But hearts are not invulnerable, and there came a day when 1 illian Pi ncourt's beat more q< iekly than it wns wont to do, when a fi m light footstep would^ rrake it quiver with an unkrown new-found joy. Sir Walter had an only sister, Rose Pencourt, who years aco hr.d greatly vox f, d her family by marrying a joung officer who had nothing upon which to keep h r tave h's pay, but whom she nevertheless preferred to riches or tho approbation of hor own people, for she loved him. How much, or how little, Roso suff< red in her new lifo no ono could say ; she asked for no help and none was given her, and she and her soldier husband, fought the battle cf life hand in hand with, so far aa the world could soo, no regret for the step they had taken. Her brother Walter, b ing five years her junior, knew little or nothing about ,Jtho facts of the case, and it wns not until twenty years after her marriage That bis sister ever asked his aid. Then, on her deathbed, the wrote to tell him that her husband bad been killed in action, and thut her only son, Norman Wairen, was serving in India as a lieutenant in a line regimert, and begging him if ever he should retuvn to England, to show him kindness, and rot to let him feel all alone in the wot Id. Sir Walter had unhesitat : ngly replied in person to his sister's letter, promising to comply with ber wishes, and had written a warm assurance to young Norman of an affectionate welcome at Pencourt, when duty should bring him back to the mothercountry. Many years had sped Bince then, and Norman's regiment had not been sent home j but the timo came at length, and the young man sat down to wire to inform his uncle of lis arrival, and hia letter was half-written when suddenly he crumpled and threw it aside. " I won't write," he | muttered, " I will go down and s^o what they are like for myself, and if I don't thii.k I shall pet on with them I can hut return as I go — unknown to them — indeed I would not go at all, but for the promise I gave my mother." Pencourt was fire mles from a railway etation, and when 'Japtsiiu Warren reached the nearest station he found tbatjthe only vehicle within the radius off a mile bad been hired for the afternoon j so bookirg his portmanteau he set out on foot for his unc!e's house. The August day was beautiful, and he enjoyed the walk greatly, even before ho came to the rea coast — then he Btood entranced by tbo splendour of the view. Tho great brown rocks stood out against a sky of sapphire blue, while violet coloured clouds sailed slowly over its surface, and wero reflected in the sapphire Foa, till sky and sea seemed one, and the only sail; in sight came like a white sea-gull swimming shoreward. Norman wondered who would be in the boat when it came to land, and so wondering walked slowly on round"the coast, when another, and still prettier picture met his view. A young girl dressed in a tightly fitting costume of white flannel, trimmed only with bands of silver braid, was standing on the edge of the cliff. She wore a small vihlte sun hat, and stood with her right arm upraised, and her pocket handkerchief fluttering in the breeze, while at her B'de, waa a fine old black-and tan setter, also eagerly watching the boat in the offing. Captain Warren stood breathless regarding the girl. Never had ho seen so exquisite a form, each beod and curve standing out against the summer sky, and a great desire grew within him to know what sort of a face could accompany such a figure, but the girl still gazed seaward, unconecious of the watcher. Young soldiers aro seldom bashful, and a wounded Egyptain hero was not likely to be more so than his brethern-in-arms, bo he drew nearer with the sudden determination to look upon Lillian's face. Surely, he could ask his way to Pencourt without effinee. As he came near, Rover gave a low growl. " Lio down good dog," said a aweet clear voice, " your master will soon bo home now." But Rover would not lie down and diverted his attention from the F6a to tho land with co demonstrative a movement tbat Mies Pencourt turned suddenly, and was face to face with a tall sunburnt Btranger. There was a breathing space born of surprise and confusion on either side, and then Norman raised his hat. " Pray pardon me, if I, startled you, but can you direct me to Pencourt ?" "You are at Pencourt now," she returned with a smile. " You came upon Sir Walter's property when you entered the last gate." " Exsuso me. I wae informed that this was the nearest cut to tho house." «' That is true. Are^you going there ?" " Yes, I have walked over from the station." If thia were only hia cousin 1 there would not then be much question as to hia return without interviewing his uncle. Miss Pencourt seemed to be embarrassed by the earnest eyes, and the wild-roae hue was more Jthan usually tinting her cheek j and yet there was something in tbe man's face that enchained her ; he was so like her ' own father, only younger and handsomer. She turned from him to the boat again, however, and he felt he could not be thus dismissed, that he must again look into those clear thoughtful eyes, and see those lips emile. " Is it much further on to the house ?" " It ließ beyond ihe next promontory," -she returned without locking towards him. This was a diswppointment, but he would not be so rebuffed. " I am quite a stranger in those parte, so you muat pardon me it' I seem presumptuous, but I h^ve to see Sir Walter Pencourt, and it would help me very much to know what sort of man I have to deal with. Do you chance to know him ?" Lillian gave a quick, searching glance at the speaker, aud again wondered what it was that drew her to bim ; in any other man she would have considers 1 his intrusion a gross impertinence, and yet, she was permitting him to talk to hor, and in truth, feeling much interest in his conversation, thinking that he ought to pass on anei leave her, and yet with an unacknowledged hope that he might stay and a growing curiosity as to who this bronzed stranger could be. Almost shyly she glanced once more at him and saw before her a tall, well-made broadshouldered man, with brown shortly cropped hair, a pair of deep set, honest, handsome grey eyes, black-lushed like her own ; a refined straight noae ; a heavy gold-brown moustache, and a square, and powerful chin. (To be continued)

" What is Smith doing now P" "He is travelling with a circus." " Pretty hard work, isn't it P" " No, he has nothing to do except to stick his head ia the big lion's mouth twice a day,"