LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4564, 9 December 1882, Page 3

LITERATURE.

4 VIBGINIA: OB FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. (TiTupl* Bar.) "Heis a very strange mixture." •' I really do not think you ought to ask him to the house An atheist, a man of disreputable life, a — — " " Come, come, my dear, don't give him suoh a character, before Virginia." This fragment of dialogue takes place over a cheery breakfast-table in a houio not very far from Park lane. The first apoaker is a pleasant looking man of between fifty and sixty, and his intercolutor is rather a prim lady, who appears older, but is, in roality, his junior by two years. They are Mr Hamilton Hay ward and his sister Miss Susan. The party has a third inomber— tho Virginia alluded to by Mr Hayward. She is tall, handsome, brightlooking; evidently she possesses character, but witli it the grace and oharm of manner which prevents a woman of character from falling into that disagreeable being, a strong minded woman. 11 What are Mr Vansittart's good points?" she says, smiling at her uncle. "He has the kindest heart in the world," Mr Hayward replies warmly, " and he would never do a shabby thing. One of tho few men who really practiso not letting their left hand know the good their right docs. Ho certainly is a looseish fish ; but he does not parade his irregularities before tho world — the world noed not know anything about thorn if it does not insist on pryiug into hi) affairs. Tho greatest grudge wonion wave against him is that he ia mortally opposed to mamago, and carries on a crusade against it as though he were St George, and matrimony the Dragon. He says if you want to mako two people hate each other who would otherwise bo disposed to lovo " "Hush! my dear Hamilton," cried Miss £u3an, horrified; "pray spare us a repetition of Mr Vansittart'a iniquitous opinions !" " I suppose," laughs Virginia, "that women don't insist on marrying him by force, do they undo ?'* " A groat many would bo very glad to have him," rojoins Mr Hamilton; "he is a tremendously taking fellow." And you have really asked him to dinner?" intorpojes Miss Susan. " 1 have indeed, my dear, and I had a good dial of difficulty in pjrsuading him to come. He persisted that ho worct eo little into society — into ladies' eociety." Miss Suean gives a littla suort. " lie has no right to go into it at all with tho viows ho holds ; and, pray, whom is ho to iako iu to dinner ?" "hire Ash! on, I thought," answer* Mr Hamilton; "I am afraid he would bo bored with an unmarried lady." " Whon 1 vtm young," says Mian Susan, bridling ; " married women wero as modest and as particular in their conversation as unmarried ones." "Ah !" obsorvOß her brother drily. " Uncle," cries Virginia ; " lot him take mo. If he is original, I shull be sure to liko him ; and'aa I don't intend to marry, ho need not bo afraid of my having designs on him. I shall give him a hint whilst ho is eating his soup that I have mado a vow to remain always single." "Virginia!" remonstrates Miss Susan j "and you know Sir Harry Hotspur is to take you." " No, no," cries Virginia, "he bores me to distraction. .Besides," lnughiDg, "ho ' goes for married woinon.' Lot him have Airs Asliton, and give me Mr Vunsittart." Miss Susan lias one virtue, which is, that sho is never quito so shocked aa iho protends to be. Moreover Virginia always gots Jut way with both undo and aunt. So when tho ovening of tho dinner party arrives, Mr Hayward brings Mr Vuntittart up to hit neioo and

introduces him. Whilst he is uttering a few of those common places which must inovitably be the precursors of even the most interesting conversation between two tt rangers, Virginia is taking an inventory of him. At the same moment he is saying to himself—" What sort of woman is thii, and what on earth shall I talk to her aboat ? I hope to Heaven she isn't a girl of the period. "She doesn't look like it— still less like a prude. How I hate sooiety dinners ! I suppoee I shall be bored to death as usual." True to her promise, Virgini* apprises him, whilst he is yet assimilating his soup, of her vow of celibasy. He turns to look at her, being just a shade surprised at receiving such a canfidence so early in their acquaintance, and then he sees the archest smile curving iu eornors of hor mouth, and meets a glance from a pair of brown eyes that he now perceives to be beautiful. Mr Vansittart has a quick intelligence — ho understands in an instant the object of her remark. His eyes light up with a sudden gleam, and ho murmurs quietly — " i. hanks so much for putting me at my ease." From that moment they are perfectly at home with each other, and iall to animated talk. He does not air his theorios about marriage, nor is religion discussed between them, but there are plenty of other topics, and they become aware of a dozen feelings and sympathies in common. Virginia is ao bright and witty as she is modest and pure-minded; there is nothing in the world that Mr Vanßittart detests eo much as a coarse or immodest lady. 8o charmed is he with Virginia that he remains close to hor side the whole evening, to the surprise of everyone else. No one ever saw him devote himself to a girl before. He etays until the very last. As he walks away from the door, after lighting his cigar, he reflects to himself — " If any earthly power could induce mo to marry, it would be a girl like that. But," resolutely ; " nothing could." Ab Virginia wends her way upstairs to bed, she says to herself with a heavy sigh — " Why should he abuse marriage ? How happy he might make some woman !" Virginia is the daughter of a clergyman. Father and mother a»e both dead. She has a brother in the army, and a sister married to a country reotor. Her uncle, Mr Hayward, has adopted her. She is clever and accomplished. She has both passion and imagination. Seme of her idoai are original, sho hates oommon-placeness ; but she is also imbued with the attribute possessed by every charming woman, the love of approbation. This prevents her doing or saying anything outre or unconventional ; this makes her careful of her appearance and fond of fair apparel ; this makes the evidenoe of admiration from the other sex exceedingly agreeable to her ; this causes her to adopt a manner to* wards them that induces jealous women to call her a coquette. She has had several offers of marriage, but she entertains peculiar ideas about the strength of passion and the sympathy of thought a man and woman ought to feel for each other before they decide to spend a life time together. She doeß not think a man who has a good income, and who is simply not repulsive or abhorrent to her, a sufficient inducement. The days wear on. Virginia does not forget Mr Vansittart any more than he forgets her, but he weighs more on her heart than she does on his, for, happy man! ho is perpetually ocoupied, being a barrister with a comidorable practice, whilst she is an idle woman, as the well-to-do of her sex mostly are. If she goes to balls or dances, she is always contrasting every man with whom she talks or dances with him ; if she works at her embroidery, her thoughts are intent on him ; if she reads, a hero of her own ousts the hero of the novel from her brain ; if she sings, her voice is moved to strong pathos ; her eyes become drownod by that strange passion which consumes her. Days and weeks pass by, and she docs not catch a glimpse of him ; does not even hear his name. She sees it frequently in The Times. One Sunday afternoon, sho and her uncle strolling in tho park, met him. He lifts his hat, and is about to pass, when something that her eyes have communicated to his heart stops him suddenly. He turns and joins them. It is a delicious summer afternoon ; they take chairs under the big trees which shade this cool green spot. Presently a crony joins Mr Hay wood — soon the elder pair are deep in the cause celebre of the day. Virginia and Mr Vaneittart have forgotten that other people exist in the world— the topics of their conversation are ordinary enough, but it is from them that a subtle delight steals through their veins. What they heed is the language of each other's eyes. His soy — " You fulfil my idea of perfect womanhood. I could love you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my etrongth. I rcs;icct you with my pureßb feelings ; I love you witli my strongest passions ; I would to God I could shake off my doubts about marriage But I know that if I married you, inexorable Destiny would no longer let us love one nnother." And her eyes reiterate one little eontenco, " You are my lord, my master, und I am your slave." It was one of the very strongest cases of love at first sight. Such cases are more common, however, than people affect to think. "Come home and dine with us," says Mr Hayward, us a distant clock strikes seven, "I'm afraid 1 have not time to drew," answers Philip Vansittart ; " that is if you dine at half- past seven, as I have heard you Bay you do." "Naver mind about dress," replies Mr Hayward ; I won't dross either." He has no designs on his guest, but he is a good-natured gentleman, and he sees that these two are attracted towards each other. Miss Suean is at churoh. If her brother will dine at his usual hour on Sunday, she cannot help it, but she will not countenance him by her presence. Philip VansiUart thinks that he has never spent such a divinely happy evening as this. Virginia sings to him ; her voice thrills to his very soul. Mr Hamilton is asleep in the next room. As for Virginia, when she is alone, she first smiles a happy, triumphant smile, because she knowß he loves her, and then she bursts into a passion of tears and sobs until her whole frame is convulsed. If his mind is really set against marriage, what will become of hor ? She feels as though life without him must bo one long night of despair. Philip Vansittart paces his room until the small hours, thinking of this oharming, lovable creature who inspires stronger, deeper sensations in him than he has ever felt before. He tells himself, without vanity or eolf-decop-tion, that what ho feels for hor, -with that difference which governs the loves of mon and women, she feels for him— heart has gone to heart, nay, they are " twain halves of a perfect hoart." It is but for him to stretch out his hand to her, and she will come. Ay ! but bow can ho stretoh out his hand ? In tho eooiety in which they both move there is but one way in which she can be his— tho way sanctioned by sooiety, blessed by tho church. Bociety and tho church will bless and smile upon any union ; the docrepit, old man with the blooming child ; the drunkard and adulterer with lhe pura youn;? girl; the avaricious youth with the dotinfr old woman. Marriage purifies, sanctifies, hallows sensuality, greed, any, every baso motiva. To love as God made you free to lovo, unfettered, and with a true heart, is » crime; to live together full of hatred, loathing, and revolt, is to perform a snored duty once you have tied yourself up in church. This was Vansitturt's theory. Marriage to him was only another word for satiety, woarinesg, restraint, tyranny. I/e had never noon what he called a happy marriage, though lie had obeorved many which the v.orld crowned with that adjective, and ho had eworn a thousand outha that ho would never eubjert himself to tho miserable nwakoning which inevitably follows the temporal aleop of mind und reason, and tho short, dronm of pnosion which mako* a nun bind lii-neclf with shaciclca. Philip paced hu room for hour.*, fighting tho hatdect bt.Mk 1 ho had cvrr fought. It was the first time ho had over beon tempted to marry— tempted beyond endurance. And, at last, ashen pale, iti the wnn morning light, and with not tooth, ho look hid final oath and resolvu. Ho would ftavo himself years of wretrhodne.«s by i» monlYt* anguish ; ho would not go rear hor, ror !><}» hor ngain. He w>ia not entirely selfish; hn did nor forgat that the mijiht, nay, would sufi'jr, but ho tai:i, wit.h u sij»li, " It will be best for her as for inc." * f i'o bo continued.]

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