LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4861, 28 November 1883, Page 4

LITERATURE.

♦ ♦3APTAIN OGILYIB'S FLIBTATION.

Pabt I. (Truth.) When Oaptain Ogilvie was appointed to a "Militia Ad jutanoy in the neighbourhood of Xondon, be discovered that the faot of his "beiag a married man was not generally known. He had married in Scotland, in the dead season of the year, and somehow the announce* ment of the wedding seemed to have escaped the notioe of oisual friends and acquaintances. Tfia ooming np to town withont hu wife was «vn accidental ciroumstanoe, and he was honestly disappointed that the precarious •tate of her father's health prevented her from accompanying him. He was soon reconciled to hia quasibaohelordom, however, by tho flattering attentions he reoeived in town. Ue was a remarkably good-looking man, an oxceUent danoer, and an adopt at flirtation. Being weak, vain, and conceited, he enjoyed the flutter of exoitement which he oaused among marriageable young ladiea, and though he had, at the outset, no deliberate intention of aoting deceitfully, he grew more and more reticent about being married, and allowed people to believe that he waa a ainglo man. He soothed hia oonsoienea by keeping up an affeotionate correspondence with his wife, and by making the wise resolution to be very oareful not to commit himßelf in any way. Unfortunately, he was so susceptible by nature, that if a young lady gave him enoouragement, he oould never resist venturing into the regions of dangerous flirtation. More than onoe he oheoked himself only just in time to avoid making a compromising declaration, and thongh he blamed fiimself very severely on these oooasionß, he did not learn wisdom from experienoe. On the oontrary, he grow more and more rookies!. At length, one morning be awoke with * auspicious headache, and a dim oonsoiousness of having been more imprudent than usual the preceding evening. He reoalled to mind with increasing uneasiness a Ule-h-UU conversation with a oortain young lady -in a conservatory after supper, and though he oould not remember precisely what had passed, he had an uncomfortable .foreboding that he had made a formal proposal of marriage, and been accepted. All ' doubts upon the point were speedily removed by the following note, which reaohed him while he WSS still in bed :— " Ohilworth street, Tuesday morning. "My Dearest Charlie, -I have thought it test to tell mamma everything at once. She does not object, but wishes to see you without delay. Plense oall immediately, for the sake of your loving Maud." •' My loving Maud ! What infernal nonflense.!" said 'the Oaptain, peevishly, as hs orushed the noto in hia hand in a very ungallant manner. This unwelcome communication effeotually aroused him, ond he hurriedly performed his toilet while cursing his imprudence and smarting from a sense of shame and humiliation. It must be owned that he felt heartily ashamed of himaelf, and the image of hia wife rose reproaohfnlly to his mind. Concerning the objeot of bis faithlessness, Miss Maud Pontifex, his sentiments were of a somewhat mixed character. He knew that he had behaved badly to her ; bnt, at the same time, he was bitterly consoious that the young lady had proved herself at least his equal in the dangerous art of flirtation. She lad angled for bim in the most barefaoed Banner, and, having swallowed the bait, he began to realise how palpable the hook had been. Altogether, his mental attitude towards Hiss Pontifex was rather aggressive than penitent. But the faot remained that he was in an exceedingly awkward predicament, and he did sot relish the prospect of making the neoeatary explanation and apology. Upon the whole, he thought the best plan would be to treat tiie matter as a joke— though, of oourse, it was quite possible that the young lady might not easily be brought to take the same -view of it. If neoessary, he mußt reveal the fact of hiß marriage, but he instinctively shrank from this oourse. It would plaoe hia oonduot in a very bad light, and exaggerated rumours of tbe lioense he had permitted himself might reaoh his wifo' a cars. Ihe important point wob to oxtrioate himself from his dilemma withont a moment's delay, and he therefore reaolved to oall upon the young lady at once. At first he thought of writing, but, now that it was too late, he began to listen to the dictates of prudence. However guardedly he might express himself in a letter, it would be safer not to commit anything to paper. Aooordingly, having dawdled over his breakfast, whioh he soaroely touohed, be sallied forth abont midday in tho direotion of Ohilworth Btreet. On the way he recalled to mind what he knew of the Pontifexes, and waa surprised to find how Blight had teen his acquaintance with them. He had met Miss Maud Pontifex, who was a pretty -and lively girl, half a dozen times, perhaps, at balls and garden-parties, and had never lost an Opportunity of making himself agreeable. Iho young lady, on her part, had evinced a marked preference for him, so that they had toon become exoellent friends. He bad barely exohanged two words with her mother and was entirely ignorant of their oiroumetanoss smd aocial poaition, though it waa evident they moved in good sooiety. It began to dawn npon him that they might possibly be a oouple of adventuresses, or at least a mothor and daughter intent upon scouring a husband for the latter, or perhaps for both. This flupioion, though it inoreased his uneasiness, rendersd him more callous about the uneeasant task he had to perform, and he locked at the door of 'their residence in a -yery stern and resolnte frame of mind. The neat maidservant who admitted him showed by her mannor that he was expected, and requested him to follow her to the drawing-room. But before he oould reaoh ihe foot of the stairoaso, a oharming apparition in a pretty morning gown intercepted him ; and Miss Maud, her blue eyes sparkling^ and her faoe covered with blushes, oried enthusiastically— "Oh! Charlie! How good of you to come so soon. Good morning !" The salutation was uttered in rather a demure tone, while two small white hands were outstretched towards him, and a pair of weey lips uplifted in an entioingly suggestive manner. Oaptain Ogilvie was oompletely taken abaok, and had no time for reflection. It oertainly orossed his mind in a dim, uncertain way that he ought to be cold and Stately* Bnt it was impojmble to colleot his thoughts and to blurt out his explanation with the maidservant atacoiog agog on the fltairs, and Maud Pontifex's protty face in close proximity to his own. Ihe simpleat plan seemed to be to grasp the little hands smd to imprint the expected kiss, whioh Oaptain Ogilvie. did, not without awkwardness, Ssrhapa, yet with a fair appearanoe of aatiskotion. " Mamma is dying to see you. Sho is bo iuoe, Charlie. You will love her, Tm sure," mid Maud, as sbe tripped up the stairs. "Perhaps— ahem !«my dear— young lady, I had better aay a few words to you first," he .gasped, nervously. " Not here. Come along. Mamma is upstairs," said Miaa Maud, looking down at him archly. The Captain feebly attemptod to protest, but the young lady having already reaohed the firat landing, he wsb obliged to follow. He waa presently ushered into a trim little drawing-room, where he found an elderly lady .seated in state upon a sofa. " This is my mother. Mamma, dear, this is Charlie— Captain Ogilvie, you know," said Miss Maud, gracefully performing tho ceremony of introduction. | "I already have the pleasure of your acJuaintance, I think, Mra Pontifex," he said, owing awkwardly. "Considering the news my daughter has told me, I think I may tod turo to welcome you in an old-fashioned manner, Captain Ogilvie," said the elderly lady. The Captain was too muoh confused to Understand this Bpeeoh, and .before he could xeoover himself, Mrs Pontifex had plaoed a hand on eaoh shoulder and kissed him affectionately on his whiskers. This touching episode oompleted Oaptain Ojrilvie's discomfiture, aud he dropped, uninvited, into a •Ohair from sheer nervousness and diamay. "I've come to speak about this engagement," he said, as he tngged viciously at his glove. "Oh 1 you have my fnll consent, Oaptain Ogilvie," returned the old lady, briskly. " I wanted to see you so as to get that over. I hate formalities." " Xou are very good," returned the Oaptain, evading Misa Maud's affectionate glance. " But the faot is I—l wanui to say " "I have inquired abou*. your prespeots, Capta : n Ogilvie," interrupts! tho old lady ingenuously. "From all I hear, I am sure I

oin safely confide my daughter's happiness to your keeping." " Par aon me, but what I have to say does not refer to my prospeots. There has been a — slight mistake, a trifling misunderstanding. No oonsequenoe whatever, but I think I had better mention it," aaid the Oaptain des* perately. But for the life of bim he oould not proceed, and looked the piotnro of misery. 11 Ah! I see I am in the way," remarked the old lady, after an awkward pause, as she rose from her Beat with a pleasant smile. "No doubt you deßire a Ute-d-Ute with Maud, and I have my household duties to attend to." " Pray don't leave," oried Oaptain Ogilvie, jumping up in genuine alarm at the prospect of boing left alone with the young lady in hifl prosent unsettled and startled frame of mind. " I can't stay, 'pon my word. I shall be late fer parade as it is." . " Oh, Charlie 1 must yoa go already ?" exolaimed Maud, reproaohfnlly. "Must, indeed. I'll call again this afternoon—or, at all events, I will write," said the Oaptain, baoking towards the door in a determined manner, nnder the influence of a veritable panic He beat a hasty retreat, evading the necessity for a formal leave-taking by muttering something about oalling again in an hour or two. The faot was he felt completely oyer* whelmed by tho awkwardness of the situation, and could not summon up the fortitude to make his confession. Ihe oalm, matter-of-fact manner of old Mtb Pontifex and Maud's frank and innooent demeanour had completely disconcerted him. It was evident that neither of thorn entertained the remotest suspioion of bis guilty secret, and that both regarded the engagement as a settled thing. Under these oiroumstanoes he found himself quite unequal to the task of abruptly undeceiving them, and mistrnsting the effoot of Miss Maud's blue eyes upon him in his melting mood, he had preferred to seek safety in flight. Of course, he was very angry with himself afterwards, and felt more perplexed and embarraßied than ever. He waa afraid to trust himself to oall again, and he was equally averse to putting pen to paper. Oonsoquentiy, after mature deliberation, he reaolved to take a middle oourse, and to do nothing. It was impossible, he reflected, that Maud and her mother oould have failed to remark his coldness, and if he neglected to keep his ap* pointment and- studiously refrain from going near them, they must neoessarily realise that there had boen a misunderstanding. He was quite conscious of the weakneaa and unmanliness of this plan, not to speak of the want of courtesy and consideration for the young lady whioh it involved. But he was in suoh a Btate of almost ludiorous distress, that he selfishly thought of nothing but his own embarrassment. For *hroe days, thereforo, Captain Ogilvie hardly stirred from his rooms, and tremulously looked for the result of his unworthy manoeuvre. He fully expected that Maud and hsr mother would oall npon him, under the natural impression that he had been suddenly been taken ill, and he therefore gave striot orders that he was not at home to visitors. Ihey did not disturb him, however, and it was not until he bad begun to breathe more freely that he reoeived a letter from Maud, asking for au explanation of his conduot. He opened it with considerable trepidation, not unreasonably anticipating that it might formally release him from the engagement. But to hiß great disappointment and inoreased dismay, it did nothing of the kind. On the contrary, the reproaches it oontained were very light compared with the expressions of unalterable affection, and it ended with the following significant sentence :— You must come without fail to-morrow, dearest, for mamma haß asked a few near relativea aad old friends to, make your acquaintance. I am overwhelmed with kind congratulations on our engagement, and I long to Bee you, if only to be able to answer the numerous questions that are aaked me about the probable date of our marriage. " Good heavens !" ejaculated Oaptain Ogilvie, fairly horror-stricken. " Tbe foolish girl has been announoing the engagement all ovor tho place. I must put a Btop to it at all hazards." After taking a few agitated strides about the room, he opened his desk for the purpose of writing a letter which would, at loast, prevent further mischief. He found this no easy task, however, especially as he Baw the necessity of expressing himsolf in most guarded language. He wrote draft after draft and tore up a quire of paper in his frantic endeavours to be at once explicit and diplomatic. Finally, having worked himself into a state of frenzied desperation, he threw prudonoo to the winds, and did not attempt to deny the engagement. His reply expressed regret that Misa Pontifex should have taken his jesting remarks seriously, and stated in the plainest terms that a marriage was out of the question. He waited with considerable anxiety to see how the young lady would take this dißolaimer. That she would be highly indignant aud offended wbb, of course, to be expeoted, and be felt that he deserved to be assailed with bitter reproaches. But what he feared was tbat she might prove vindictive, and expose his conduot among mutual friends. This would naturally be exceedingly awkward for him. It never, however, orossed his mind that even a worse misfortune might result from hia imprudence. The following letter, therefore, whioh reaohed him a day or two later, completely took his breath away :— "Bedford row, London. "Sir,— lam instructed by my olient, Misa Maud Pontifex, to commence an aotion against you for damages for breach of promise of marriage. Will you be good enough to giro ree the name of your solioitor, who will acoept service of writ? — Youra obediently, "J. 8. Mbbbidbw." (To be oontinued.)