A LOVER'S QUARREL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 4, Issue 164, 10 November 1860, Page 8

A LOVER'S QUARREL.

Nelly and I stood by the brook — the brook that ran like a little zigzag stripe of silver through a shrubby meadow, flushing red and gold in the early autumn. The glow of sunset drifted like a crimson mist over Nelly's .white robe, and as she turned her head towards me, I saw that the ivory of, her slender throat was stained with the same-pink flight. < Ah, my lover's heart, beating high with love and tenderness, called Nelly beautiful, though I knew all the while that no eyes but partial ones would have seen her so. Her features oad no chiselled regularity — her complexion, though fair, was pale — her white forehead was quite too full and high for feminine beauty. Her mouth was no rosebud — its soft, crimson curve was not dainty enough for that. But her eyes had something in their depths that reminded me of the flowing of the clear, bright waters at our feet ; a sunny sparkle and a shadowy darkness, that sometimes, when they poured their full radiance upon me from under the fringed shelter of their lifted lids, quite dazzled me into the belief that they were nothing more nor less than stars prisoned in little rings of azure. The hair, drooping back in heavy curves from the whiteness of her full forehead, had a tint like the: under side of a robin's wing. The slightest possible flush of color lay always on the rounded oval of her cheeks — a color at once so faint and so fresh, you could flunk of nothing but apple, blossoms while watching it come and go on her face. Her slender figure had a mellow grace in every outline ; her-r-but.whatis the use of going farther ? I might carry, jay , description forward for ever, dear reader, and, you would never see her as I saw her then by the brook ; side — standing so near to me that the -hem of her fluttering garments s_wept over Iny footr— -the reflected light of the blood-red sunset pouring over her like a rosy baptism. . We had been talking about — about — I hardly like to tell you what, the subject vras so very singular and unroraantic for a pair of lovers to be discussing — about noses. Something, suggested the topic, and we were soon deep in a in,erry controversy upon the respective merits of the different styles, of olfactory distributed among the human family., Long noses, and short noses—straight noses and crooked noses — flat noses and humped noses — thin noses ' and thick noses — noses big and noses little — hooked noses and pug noses — all came under our laughing criticism. : ..ISfow Nelly 's^nose, be it known, had just the. daintiest idea in the world of aspiring skyward — scarcely enough to be percep-tible—-but just sufficiently to gire an arch, <piquant;££j>ress^ I told her of ifc4ocoWy..i i&oodness gracious,, the : tempest that I raised }

(Moral : Never joke a woman about her looks. The dickens may he to pay if you do.) You Iwill ndtice' that I have departed . from the stereotyped method of story-tel-lers, and throw my moral in at the com--men cement. ;■ Well, Nelly ' resented it. Although I had not thought tp.ofEeiiiJ. ..'.., She vowed that her nose didn't turn up a particle — that nobody had ever insinuated such a. thing before— that her nose was not any worse looking than some other folks' noses. §he hadj.s.een in her life (I knew by the' way in which she glanced at mine— -a Roman on the largest scale — that th'it shaft was aimed at me.) She' said her nose was decidedly Grecian, as any one with half an eye might see-^-that Ned Hinton had said so. . (Ned Hinton was a sort of rival of mme — I hated him, and she knew it ;) that if I couldn't get anything better/to do than to find fault with other peoples looks, she should advise me to go where folks relished such meddling impertinence better than she did. How long her pretty red mouth could have discharged such an unslaclcened torrent of indignant words 1 don't know, for I interposed gen tly, — "But, Nelly, my dear- " " You needn't call me your dear ! " she retorted.,?; " I won't be deared by any such great, cross, disagreeable, saucy man. My nosfe turn up, indeed ! I tell you it's as straight as an arrow." '* Why, Nelly, I know it's only just the slightest bit in the world — the merest trifle ; but then there Jis no use denying that it does turn " A great wide open flash of Nelly's blue eyes checked the sentence. She turned her back to me in a huff, shrugging her shoulders angrily, and tearing with a little defiant, motion the scarlet leaves from a bush that grew beside her, tossing them upon the brook, and watching them as they floated away like bubbles of fire upon its bosom. I waited for a few moments, and then laid my hand coaxingly upon her arm. She shook it off spitefully. " Nelly," said I. She did not answer me — only flung a handful of the flame-colored leaves upon the water, and set her dainty lips together as she did it. " Nelly," I repeated. • Another little cloud of fiery foliage fluttered gently down to . the brook. Nelly maintained a frigid silence. " Nelly Heath, you are a little vixen," said I. She wheeled about with a suddenness that startled me. " And you, Chester Milt, are a great, unmannerly stupid.- My nose is no more "of a pug than yours, and you know it." •" I didn't say it was, Nelly." " You did."—" I didn't."—" You did." —"I didn't." Thus words ran high. It was a regular out-and-out lover's quarrel. A blank silence of many minutes followed. Nelly twisted her hat ribbons off and onlher slender fingers ; wjiile I confused and irritated, fumbled away nervously at my side pockets. • As luck would have it, r my fingers came in contact with a little folded paper, a|id a sudden flash of recollection, forgiveness, and delight thrilled over me at the touch. It was a ring — a ring I bad bought for Nelly that very day. I had forgotten to give it to her before ; but now, I would make a peace-offering of it, I thought. I drew it quickly from its resting place, and unwrapped it carefully. Nell caught sight of it as the light glimmered and sparkled bn it. Her head Wag verted instantly. " Come, Nelly," I said, reaching out my hand. " Where's the use of quarrelling ? Let us be friends." v The averted face was turned toward me a trifle — that was all. " See, I have something for you, Nelly. t Will you accept it?" . . • ■ ! The, head moved another trifle. I saw her steal a .sidelong look from under her lashes at the ring, and a ghost of a smile rippled across her lips, as ,1 crowded the fairy circlet on the end of my little finger, and extended it towards her. Then she., gave her, head a haughty toss, as nauch as to., say she would not be conquered^ so ! easily, drew down her features into an expression of the most "profound indifference, and yawning with a pretty affectation of weariness, looked innocently up the brown, winding path that led to her home. ■ ■ Lknew the battle was half won, 'and -with a quick, daring motion, caught ©ne of her hands, and prisoned it , finriiy in my clasp. There was a short struggle, a little bursj:-©^

laughter that 1 would come, in spite of. her 4ffbfts r ~tb restrain it, and then "I released her.. The ring was on one of her taper fingers like a thread .of sunsnine. She .did not thank me, but stood coquet-; tishly silent, and., drew the slender circlet backward and forward upon her finger with a childish air of uncertainty, coyness, and embarrassment. All, at once she looked up into my face, opening her blue eyes to dazzling width, and arching her brows with a coaxing, aggrieved manner peculiarly her own. ; "My nose doesn't turn up," does it, Chellie ? Say no, there's a dear, good i Chellie was a pet name she had given me, because, as she, said, Chester was hard to speak, and Chet was a disagreeable nickname. "Really, Nelly, 5 " said I, "I can't fib for you. Your nbee ie just the sweetest, prettiest, dearest nose in all Christendom —I think so, truly—but for all ihat I must say it has a slight, a very slight— but the deuce, Nelly ! Why need you get so angry about it ?" - She had snatched her hand from my arm while I was speaking, and a quick rush of angry blood suffused her face as I finished. " Here, take back your old ring, you hateful, cross creature ! I won't wear it." And she drew it off with a gesture of supeib disdain, and reached it towards me. " Take it, I say," she added, with a stamp of her pretty wot, seeing that I made no movement to accept it, " or else I'll " She held it threateningly over the brook. " Very well, miss," said I. "It is yours "to do what you like with." I folded my arms haughtily, for I. had my share of pride as well as she,', and she had roused it. " There is no great loss, I have heard, without some small gain," I continued. " I shall at least learn in what estimation my gifts are held. That will be some advantage." A scornful movement of- Nelly's arm was my answer. The ring fell into the dimpled waters. There was a bubbling sound as it wound slowly downwards through the silver tide ; and we both watched with a sort of sympathetic fascination till it settled, a tiny golden speck, on the pebbly bottom of the brook. The waters were shallow, and a single dipping of my arm might have saved it. But I would have scorned to act so boyishly. I was thoroughly angry, and drawing myself up proudly, I stalked away with the majesty of an insulted emperor. Not before I bad seen, however, the rapid cloud ofrerget that swept over Nelly's face. I carried that with me for a triumph and a consolation. Strange as it may seem, I had not walked half-a-dozen yards before my wrath was entirely dissipated. I loved ! Nelly Heath to distraction, and Nelly | loved me. "Why should I take such child's play to heart ? Were we not engaged lovers, and was not that the first difference we had ever known ? Should I let a mo- ' ment's anger conquer years of love ? If I couldn't bear with her coquetries and peevishness once, was I fitted for the dear relation I soon hoped to hold towards her ? I was ashamed of .myself, and turned to retrace my steps, vowing, as I did, with a returning rush of lover-like tenderness, to reconcile her in spite of herself. But I thought I would give her a surprise. I would see what she was doing — notice how my angry and sudden departure had affected her. So I stole back noiselessly by a roundabout path, dropped down quietly behind the very' bush from which she had torn the leaves so petulantly a few moments before, and, pushing aside : the branches, glanced through. Jubilate ! I could have kissed her with deliglit. She knelt on the bank, one round arm bared and dipped even to the curve of her polished shoulder in the brook over which she was leaning eagerly. She was trying to reach the ring, I knew ; but the waxen arm, outlining its ripe, firm whiteness in the water, was all too short for the task. , In her, eagerness she forgot to steady Herself. The yielding turf gave way beneath her weight, and with a faint cry and a vain attempt to save herself she fell forward into the. water. Before I had time to rise from my crouching posture, she had struggled to her knees, and sat there in the brook, looking about her with a glance that -was made up out of fright, chagrin, .and mirth.. She shook her saturated hair, and, a shower of; pearls rained down about her dripping shoulders. Then the air trembled witih al'peal of 'the merriest.laughter. I Sprang up and confronted her. Her face reddened instantly, and she made an

ineffectual' attem pt to "" rise '; but , he* "long skirts (hoops 'were not yet coirie into fashion) were tangled in a clinging,, unmanageable mass beneath her and held her. At first she looked; as if she hardly knew whether to laugh or cry; then the ludicrousness of her situation recurred to her - again, and another musical thrill of merriment rang through the meadow. 'Help me out, Chellie/ I folded my arms with a grim -smile of* satisfaction,' and replied,- * No, miss* -you- are on your knees to me now, and I mean to keep you there a while. Our positions are . leversed from what they "were a few months ago." You must promise better fashionsibr the future, before I help-you/ . 1 But Chellie, my dear-^— • * You needn't call me your' deafj'-. said I»' ' 1 won't be deared by such a shrew.' ' Do — do — help me, I shall drown* Chellie.' ; *On one condition,' said I. 'What Isit/" she asked i 'You shall say yes to the next threequestions I ask you.' She hesitated — then said, * I won't makeany such promise. If you was&'t a monster' you wouldn't stand there so coolly. I tell you I shall drown if you arn't good.' * Do, dear,' said I. « I should like to see you do it in two feet of water.' • Chellie, dear Chellie/ she said it with a little grimace), 'I promise you.' • Well, then, don't you think your nose is a pug — a horrid pug V ' No. I'll stay here for ever before I'll say yes/ * All right, madam.' And I turned to leave. ' Chellie, come back,' said she. • I don't know but it is a.pug now ; but it won'c.be if ever I get on dry land again.' • No, that won't do,' said I. ' Does your nose turn up ? ' , Yes,' she replied, ' It is taming up at you this minute, you obstinate old tyrant/ ' Very well answered, Miss Nelly. Now for the second question. Do you love me best of anybody in the whole world ? ' 'Ve — no — y-e-e-sl I'll pay yon for this when I get able/ ' All right/ said I. * And now for the third and last. Will you marry me in six weeks from to-day V Nelly's head dropped till her crimson cheeks almost burned upon the water. Then she looked up reproach fully, and said, • For shame, Chellie ! ' But I was merciless. I had been tortured and tantalised and coquetted with long enough. I would have my answer. ' I suppose you don't like to give me a plump ' yes ' for that/ said I. « I'll be kind ; if you think 'yes/ but can't say it, just put out your arms to me, Nelly dear/ There was a struggle — I saw it daguerreot} ped in her face. Then, as if from a sudden, irresistible impulse, she made a loop of her white arms, and reached them toward my neck, I drew her up half laughing, half sobbing, into my arms. ' Now get the ring for me, Chellie,' she sai(Y stiu g ing from my embrace. ' iiut the wa.er is so disturbed I can't see/ ' Just try — that's a darling/ I was willing to do almost anything to i oblige her just then. So I knelt down, where she had knelt before me, and bent forward, looking long and searchingly into the disturbed water. 1 could see nothing through the muddy waves. So I told her. Just then I felt her two hands on my shoulders, a little quick push, a merry - laugh, a triumphant clapping of Nelly's rosy palms — and reader, (gracious knows I bate' to own it) I was floundering in the brook. . ' 1 told you I'd have my revenge,' she cried ; ' I told you — you monster. Now how do you feel I My nose doesn't turn vp — I don't love you best of anybody -in the world, and I won't marry you till — / get ready ! " \ And gathering up her drooping skirts she bounded away. * y* ( . * * A demure little woman has just slided up to my table and read this tale. It is Mrs. Chester Milt. Now she has me by the ears— Ob, mercy, how she pulls ! She says I roust tell you, dear readers, that her nose isn't a pug — that it's purely Grecian in style. Well, so be it — her nose doesn't turn up an atom. . ' P. Si — She has gone (in confidence to . the reader). Her nose is a pug, I swear it by yonder cradle!. Adieu ! . '