Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-01-01
RAVEN LOCKS.
CHAPTER /,

was eighteen years and eight months old
when went with my great-aunt, Mrs. Connay,
to spend month on the Welsh coast, at a
small town that will call Pengerwn.
We took our abode at large and luxuri-
ously-appointed boarding house named Llewel
lyn Mansion.
Everything promised happy holiday,
though strictly speaking, since had left
school and had finished entirely with Cover
ncsses, and since had come into possession ol
fortune of five hundred year, my whole life
might by some people have been considered
holiday.
was an orphan My kind old aunt loved
me fondly; some day was to inherit all her
wealth. / had splendid health, grand flow
Of spirits l only regretted one circumstance
in my destiny, and that was the fact that was
dark girl--some lady friend had once said
that looked foreign. In point OF fact, my
father had been Cornish, my mother Scotch.
! l had very black hair, dark gray eyes, a
blooming color; yet l inherited from my
father a certain brownness Of tint that numbers
fault with.
For my own part was a great admirer Of
fair people, and l used to sigh and wish with
all my heart that had been born blonde.
When | appeared at dinner on the first
evening at Llewellyn Mansion wore a cream
colored sateen, trimmed with the lace of the
same, and rose-colored ribbons in my black,
curly hair / did not think that l looked
ugly; there were other girls present who were
neither dark nor fair, neither plain nor pretty,
and | fancy that l received more than my
share of attention from the gentlemen present.
Among them was a tall young man, with
bright, dark eyes. Was he handomea did
not care bit whether he was or not, because
| said 10 myself, in the impetuosity of my
eighteen years, that his face was and must be
the most noblest face in the whole wide world.
That first evening that l spent in the society
OF Robert Cameron is mingled with such
sweet, bright memories as are never forgotten
in the longest lifetime. It was "love at first
sight" on both sides.
! sang simple ballads, gay or pathetic; he
stood near the piano, and turned over the
leaves of my music. We talked Of the wild,
we planned drives and boating excursions; we
touched on art, music, and drama; we spoke
of novels, of George Eliot, and George Sand,
of Mrs. Browning and the Brontis
Cameron was twenty-eight, with clever,
dark face, that was better than handsome. He
| IL
was at times dreamy softness in his eyes
which showed that under the outward mark Of
the man of the world there lurlSed deep and
tender emotions, vast capabilities for passionate
affection and devoted love. He had been two
years before called 10 the bar. AS yet he had
not climbed very high up the "black rock, as
Sir Henry James once styled the legal profes
sion; but he was fast making way-a bright
career seemed opening before him.
Robert, like myself, was fatherless; but he
had widowed mother who resided at Chat
tenham, SO he informed me- upon small in
dependent fortune. He himself had chambers
in the Temple, and his private income was
considerably less than my own-not more than
three hundred year.
Before we had been fortnight at Llewellyn
Mansion had promised to become Robert
Cameron's wife, Letters had passed between
his mother and my great-aunt; and the family
lawyer, Mr.. Cartwright, had sgn6ed his in
tention Of running down to Pengerwyn, with
the double motive of taking fortnight's holi-
day at the seaside and interviewing Mr..
Cameron.
All my money was to be settled entirely
upon myself, by the special desire Of my be-
loved Robert
Oh, how happy was Those September
days seemed dipped in golden waves as
look back.
We were happy with that ecstatic rapture
that only comes once in a lifetime
We used to wander across the hills and
watch the great shimmering sea from dis
tance, with the light of the morning spreading
over it like glad smile from heaven, and we
used 10 talk our sweet, foolish talk all about
ourselves and our love.
There came change.
One day letter arrived for Robert as we
all sat round the daintily supplied breakfast
table at Llewelyn Mansion. This letter he
opened and read, and saw his face change
and grow sad all at once.
n He looked up-his eyes met mine, and
then saw tinge Of red upon his dark face.
He crushed the letter up and put it into his
' pocket.
v thought that he would tell me all about it
after breakfast, but he did not, and | was too
/ much annoyed to ask him single question.
/ A strange feeling Of distrust stole into my
heart; the serpent had crept into my Eden.
This morning picnic was arranged to the
/ ruins Of castle called Canogowen, and we
all started in carriages hired for th, occasion.
now learnt that several of the gentlemen
were to ride the rough mountain ponies, so as
to leave more room for the ladies in the car
riages. Robert was among the gentlemen
who rodej thus found myself separated from
him for the first time during my open air ex-
g cursions that l had made since my engage
B ment
A Mrs. Land, pale, sarcastic-look ne
: woman, with three unmarried daughters all
! older than myself, were my companions in the