LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5092, 28 August 1884, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE JILT: A YARN. [Bt Charles Reade.] Chapter I. — (Continued.) Greaves went away the happiest lieutenant.in the Royal Navy, and content to kill time till the ball day. He dined atthe club, smoked a cigar on the Castle* Hillj and entered his lodgings just aa London day mail was delivered. There was a paper parallelogram for him, with av seal as big as the fj.ce oi a 9^r?S9Bi?t9 r » Order from the Admiralty to join the Redoubtable at Portsmouth-*-for disposal. Private note, by the Secretary, advising him to lose no time, as he might bff appointed flag-lieutenant to the Centaur, Admiral's ship on the China station, from which quick promotion was sure to follow in the ordinary course of the service. Before he knew Ellen Ap Rice, his heart would have bounded with exultation at this bright prospect ; but now that heart seemed cut in two. One half glowed with ambition, the other sickened at the very thought of leaving half won. But those who serve the nation may doubt and fear, but have parted with ono thing to do— tc start for London by the fast train next morning at 10 a.m. He sent a hurried note to Ellen by messenger, telling her what had occurred, and imploring an interview. His messenger brought him back a prompt reply. Papa was going to Cardiff in the morning on business; would breakfast at half -past eight precisely. He must invite himself to breakfast that night, and come at eight. He did so, and Ellen came down directly, with a tear in her eye. They comfcrted each other, agreed to look on it as a sure step to a creditable union, and, meantime, lessen the separation by a quick fire of letters. He would write from every home-ward-bound ship they brought to out at sea, and she would greet him with a letter at every port. When they had duly sealed this compact the Mayor came in, and that kept them both within bounds. But Greaves' prospect of promotion was discussed, and said, " Come back to Tenby a captain, and we shall all be proud of you, shall we not, NeUy?" When a father says so much as that to a young fellow who has been openly courting his daughter, it hardly bears two meanings ; and Greaves went away, brave and buoyant, and the sting taken out of the inopportune parting. He was soon at Portsmouth, and aboard the Redoubtable. He was appointed flag - lieutenant on board the Centaur, then lying at Spithead, bound on a two yeai'3' voyage. Under peculiar circumstances she was to touch at Lisbon, Madeira and the Cape ; but her destination was Hongkong, where she was to lie for some time in command of the station. Next morning a letter from Ellen ; he kissed it devoutly before he opened it. After some kind things that were balm to him she seemed to gravitate toward that great event in a girl's life, the ball : " I did so miss you, dear ! and that impudent Mr Laxton had the first dance — for, of course, I never thought of putting anybody in your place — but he would not give up the second any more for tliat. He said I had promised. 01), and he asked mo if I would honour his yacht with my presence, and lie would take me a cruise round Sunday Island. I said, * No ; I was a bad sailor.' •" Oh,' said he, *wo will wait for a soldier's wind.' What is a 'soldier's wind?' When I would not cousi'iit, he got papa by himself, and papa cousi-utod directly for both of us. 1 <:atmot bear such impudent men, that will not take a ' no.' " Arthur wrote back very affectionately, but made a point of hor not sailing in Laxton's yacht. It was not proper nor prudent. The wind might fall ; the yacht be out all night ; and, in any case, the man was a stranger, of whom they knew nothing, but that his appearance was wild and disreputable, and that he was a mcro cruiser and a man of pleasure. Be hone<V

"his Ellen would make this little sacrifice I to his feelings. This was his one remonstranoe. Ellen replied to it : " Tou dear, jealous goose, did you think I. would go on board his yacht— the only lady? Of course there waa a large party *, and you should have seen the Miss Frumps, and that Agnes Barker, how they flung themselves at his head ;it was disgusting ! But don't you worry about the man, dear. I am sorry I told you. We were back to dinner." Then the fair writer went off to other things; hut there was a postscript : | " Captain Laxton has just called to bid good-bye, and his beautiful yacht is just sailing out of tite roads." As what little interest there is in this part of tho story centres in Miss Ap Rice's letters, I will just say tha- 1 ; Greaves had one from hor at Lisbon whL-h gave him unmixed pleaaure. It was long and kind, though not so gay as usual. As for this Laxton, he appeared to have faded out entirely, for she never mentioned his name. At Madeira, Greaves received a lotter shorter and more sprightly. In a post- j cript she said : " Who do you think has * fallen. down from the clouds? That Mr Laxton, without hi3 yacht. We asked him what had become of her. 'Condemned,' said he, solemnly. 'In the Levant a Greek brig out-sailed her; in the Channel here a French lugu-er lay nearer the wind. After that no more cutter for me.' We think he is a little cracked. That odious Agnes Barker will not let him alone. I never saw such a shameless flirt." The ship lay eight days at Madeira, and on the seventh day he received another letter, begging him to come home as soon as possible, for she was subject to downright persecution from Captain Laxtor, and her father was much too easy. For the first time in her life she really felt the need of a protector. Thiß letter set Greaves almost wild. She wanted him back to protect her now, and he bound for the East, and could not hope to see her for two years. Nothing for it but to pace the deck and rage internally. No fresh advices possiblo bofore the Cape. He couldn't sleep, * and this operated curiously : he passed for a supernaturally vigilant lieutenant. There was a commander on board, a sprig of nobility, a charming fellow, but rather an easygoing officer; he used to wonder at Greaves, and, having the Admiral's ear, praised him for a model. "The beggar never sleeps at all," said he. « I think he will kill himself ." "He will be the only one of ye," growled the Admiral. But he took notice of Greaves — all the more that a Lord of the Admiralty, who was his personal friend, had said a word for him in one of those meek postscripts which mean so much when written by the hand of power. At last they reached the Cape, and dropped anchor. The mail boat came out with letters. There was none for Greaves. No letter at all! The deck seemed to rise under him, and he had to hold on by the f orebraceß ; and even that was as much as he could do, being somewhat weakened by Bleepless nights. Several officers came round him, and the ship's surgeon applied salts and brandy, and he recovered, but looked very wild. Then the surgeon advised him to go ashore for a change. Leave v> as granted immediately, and the second lieutenant went with him goodnaturedly enough. They made enquiries, and found another mail was due in two days. They took up their quarters at a hotel, and their Greaves was so wretched, and his companion so sympathetic, that at last the tormented lover made a confidant of him. " Oh, it will be all right," said the other. "Why Bhould Bhe want you home if she liked that lubber?" "I don't know," said poor Greaves. "" The last letter waa not like her — such a high-spirited girl ; and it looked as if he -was getting her into his power. If he has, all the worse for both of us, for" the day I catch him I shall kill him !" Next day the mail came in, and as Greavea had left his address at the postoffice, a letter was brought him, all wetted and swollen with rain, the hoy having carried it without the least attempt to protect it from a thick drizzle that enveloped the town that day. -Greaves tore it open. It was fatally short. This is every syllable of it : "Forget one unworthy of you. I can resist no longer. lam fascinated. lam his slave, and must follow him round the world. Perhaps he will revenge you. Dear Arthur, I did not mean to deceive. lam but young ; I thought I loved you as you deserve. Pray, pray, forgive me ! E." Suspense, the worst of all our. tortures, was over ; the blow had fallen. Arthur Greaves was a man again. " Tes, I forgive you, my poor girl," he groaned. " But (with sudden fury) I'll kill him!" . He told his friend it was all over, and even gave him the letter. "It is not her fault," he sobbed. " The fellow has cast a spell over her. No more about it, or I .should soon go mad." And from that hour he endured in silence, and checked all return to the subject very sternly. But his friend talked, and told the other officers how Greaves had been jilted, and was breaking his heart ; and he looked so ghastly pale that altogether he met with much honest sympathy. The very Admiral was sorry, in his way. He had met him in the street, looking like a ghost, and his uniform hanging loose on him, his stalwart form was so shrunk. " Confound the women !" growled the old boy to his favourite, the commander. " There's the hest offioer in the ship, a first-class, mathematician, an able navigator, a good seamen, and a practical gunner, laid low by some young girl not worth his little finger, ni be bound." (To be continued.)