CHAPTER XXV.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 203, 31 May 1878, Page 3

CHAPTER XXV.

Long' 'can tinned was the/s woon ; still „ nnd deaffiißke was the appearance of the liady .Teairriie 'Gordon when the Abbot .f-ftY-he Toom. „;_A lice, the beautiful a- harpist, tried tivery means within her knowledge to *fJTonaote her recovery, but 1 without effect *; -then, alarmed, she called ■Hpon tho other girls, who, whatever might- have heen their faults or misfortunes, were "undeniably very feeling hearted.- They very, willingly assisted "to loosen /her 1 dress; one brought, cold . water, another brought feathers, which •she burnt and held to her nose, while a ; third laved her brow with brandy. At [ lastj when they Tiad almost given up | tope, a deep sigh. burst from the beauti- . ful lips, ttie eyelids tremulously fluttered, and !, then the bright blue eyes I opened wide— -opened,; with a startled, t frightened gaze. Aimlessly and vacant " : was tbe stare that she cast around, arid and then, like a flash of electricity, her terrible surroundings hurst upon her, -and she sprang convulsively to her feet. , -Groping like one in the dark, she felt - for the longj thin.dngger on which she fiad hitherto relied for protection, carefully felt her dress and the sofa on which she had lain, and then she gave way to despair. *O f holy Virgin!' she cried, * holy saints and , angels, guard an innocent maiden that puts her trust in thee.' Then clasping her hands fervently, *nd raising her eye aloft, she again _ank back on the sofa, with a great cry of * Malcom ! Malcom !' welliDg up from the inmost recesses, of her heart. Her companions,, awed by her disUress and high rank, stood listlessly by. As the feeling of awe gradually -wore off, some of the more reckless began to •exhibit ihe" vapid frivolity of their every - •day life, when Alice, who seemed of a •different class from the rest, said — * Would your ladyship come into eny room, and lie down ? It is smaller and •quieter than this, and I will sit beside jou.' * I shall be glad,' said Lady Jeannie wearily, while she cast a shuddering look around her. ' 1 would so wish to $<) alone. ''Come, then,' said Alice, ' and I will ■assist you.' She languidly rose and followed Alice slowly from the room, into another "that was furnished with every comfort •and. luxury that the age could produce. .Every thkg in it was purity itself, "•rivalling the drifted snow in whiteness. The hangings on the walls, the covers of the tables and chairs, the coverlid and •curtains on the magnificent bed were of ; the finest silk ; a great mirror framed in ivory lay upon a gorgeously inlaid table, while combs and knives and •dishes of finely engraved silver were scattered around. Lady Jeannie looked around her in "Wonder at the profusion and wealth - that were displayed, and she said to Alice, looking? meanwhile steadily in her face. ' Was it all this wealth and gaudy •display that tempted you V 'No, lady/ said Alice, mournfully ; ~ H believe me that lam innocent. I was •cruelly, shamefully deceived,' and she 'held down her head, and the tears •coursed down her beautiful face. 'Tell me ; how it happened,' said ILadv Jeannie. 'It is a common tale,' said Alice. ' I loved devotedly, and I implicitly ; "trusted him I loved. He has repayed ; *ay love and devotion with treachery, *and betrayal.* ' 'It is indeed too common a tale,' said LadyJeannieVbecomingmore interested; "but I was torn from those I loved by force.' ' I can easily; beli'-ve that,' said Alice; \ 'tbe men who live here aro fit for any Tillany. No wonder that men turn heretics.' 1 Did you never try to escape,' said *<ady Jeannie. ' Ah, yes many a time • but we are too "Btricty watched. They even watch one "another. * All hope abandon ye who , -enter here,' might be written on every 'door. Bnt you will take some refreshment.;' and Alice brought wine and "venison pasty. After some urging, she indaced Lady Jeannie to eat alittleof the pasty and drink some of the wine, and *a better colour came to her cheek, and ■toore firmness into her voice, and she : Baw things in a more cheerful aspect. After leaning^ with her head upon her 'band for a little, she looked up and ■eaid— 'Alice, will you be my friend V ' Yes, 3'our ladyship, your true and faithful friend ; if indeed you can accept tbe friendship of one so lost as I am. But believe me, lady, that it is not my •own will that *I am here, for indeed I : _m innocent of all intention of evil.' _ ' 1 do indeed believe you, Alice/ said . A-ady Jeannie warmly, while she took ; 'berhand^ 'and I take you as my true ' mend, and equal/ and then she took her head between her hands and softly *issed her forehead. 'Oh, Lady/;said Alice, leaning her: bead on Lady Jeannie's shoulder, * your kindness is .great and very dear.- to me. ':< *°& give me new, hopes and new wisbe.-*, •and who' knows- I may see my dear 5 feents once again.* ;W hen they know AxAP \ have beeh cleceiy.ed-th.y .-,'wilT-no.t infuse to take me-to their hearts again-;

' Indeed, they will not./ said Lady Jeannie; 'for when we escape from this hateful place I will go with you myself as your true and faithful friend. And we must try to escape, dear Alice/ added she caressingly. ' We can but try/ said Alice while she shook her head, ** but I fear we will fail. You will stay in this room with rae, lady, and I will guard you.' * 1 was about to ask it as a favour, for I will feel so much more confidence. Tell. me the story of your life and love, Alice, and then I will tell you mine. .That is if you are not sleepy.' ' Oh, no, T a.m not at all sleepy, so I will fasten the door, and we can undress while lam talkine*. I am the daughter of the Laird of Kinfanns, near Perth. I was educated by the nuns in the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and when my eighteenth, birthday arrived my father came and escorted me home to Kinfauns. They were proud of my appearance, and they talked incessantly of my proficiency in music and embroidery ; and, to celebrate my return, my father gave a great party in the Castle. Among the many guests that fluttered in the ball-room, none attracted so much attention a 5 * Lord Ronald Druramond, the youngest son of the Earl of Perth. Introduced to him by my mother, he paid me particular attention, insisting on dancing with tne every dance, bringing me refreshments enough to have served a dozen, and making us the observed of all the company. Tall and elegant in appearance, with an air and manner acquired at the Court of France, he soon gained upon my inexperience and susceptibility. I can understand now that my parents were very anxious for a match between us, nnd I felt flattered at tho evident desire he showed to win my favour. Day after day h« came to Kinfauns, day after day we strolled together by the bonnie braesides, or floated in his boat on the beautiful Tay, till either from affection or habit, I began to prefer his company j and weary for his coming. Some months passed away very happily with me, and I began to look for some formal declaration of. his love, when we were all invited to a great party at his father's at Drummond Castle. With a bright heart I prepared for the occasion, and I must have been very happy, for all my friends complimented me on my appearance, and declared that I would be the belle of the party. Among the company were some of the French noblesse who had come from Edinburgh on a visir to the Karl. One of them, tho Duchess de Laval, was said to be the nmst heaufiful woman in France, and I was informed that Lord Ronald had known her intimately when he resided in Paris. I must have loved him, for on being told I felt a pang shoot through my heart, and now I fear I was too exacting, for I watched him jealously, but I 'must say that he gave me plenty of cause, for with the exception ofa few words when we entered, he never came near me the whole, night. The whole night he followed her like her shadow, and she seemed flattered, for beyond all doubt he was the most handsome man in the party. Whether she knew the terms on which he and I stood I cannot tell, but I think if she had known the agony T suffered all that miserable night, she would have sent him away. Over and over again, with tears in my eyes, I urged my mother to hasten our departure, but my father, who was a prominent memoer of the Queen Regent's party, was deep in conversation with the Abbot of Aberbrothock, the Earl of Perth, and others of like mind with himself, and he would not move. At last my mother, who could see my trouble and pitied me, took me by the hand, and approaching my father, urged my sudden illness as a reason for our immediate departure. On looking up, he remarked that I indeed looked ill, and in a short time we took our leave of the Earl and his family, with the exception, of Lord Ronald, who was so infatuated with his new love that he had no. time to bestow on the old. All that night I tossed on my bed, or paced my room like one distracted, thinking that the morning would never come, ft came, however, and the day passed on, '. bnt Lord Ronald nover came, and the ! long*, long agony wore 00, till I heard that he had sailed for France with the Dnchesss de Laval. As he had never declared himself my parents could not interfere, and the fierce fires of love, and jealously as I thought, had tima to burn themselves out, when he came back again, alone and unmarried. Whether he had asked her and been refused I never knew, but his conduct was very different, and his language very insolent, from what it had been when we strolled together hand in hand. But I soon discovered that my love for him was not dead, and gradually it grew,, till caution, and prudence, and reason, went down before it. I wan* dered to every place where I thought I was likely to meet him, and we often meet together. Gradually his manner became kinder, and the tones of his voice softer, and he became the devoted lover .of old, and I was happy. Such happiness as I enjoyed at this time I will never again experience in this world, for I loved him with my whole heart, and I thought that love" was as truly returned. Alas ! I have lived tv know how far it is possible for a man to deceive a weak, trusting woman, relying -upon his honour and truth/and upon his- passionate promises, df.-mar-riage. ;; .'This, went on for some time,

then little by little his love seemed to cool, and he became careless and inattentive. Be had never come much to Kinfauns since his return from France, and now he ceased coming altogether. Then I pressed him to fulfil his promises, sometimes with tears and entreaties, sometimes, with reproaches and threats, for the fear of exposure was terrible to me. At last he proposed a secret marriage, to which I yielded a willing assent, blindly trusting even yet to his good faith. So it was agreed that we should proceed to a friend's house on th»? north-east coast and get married, andcome'back happy together. The next day I accompanied him in his boat to a smull vessel that lay in the river, and waß handed .down to the cabin by a sinister-looking man, whom T have learned since to be Lindsay, Laird of Auchmithie. The ship sailed almost immediately, and it was not long till I learned that Lord Ronald had loft me and gone ashore in his boat. I have since been told that he had hired Lindsay to take me out to sea and throw me overboard ; but that ruffian knew that he could make more money by bringing me here. So here I was brought at midnight, half smothered in cloaks, and since then 1 have lived a life of remorse. But oh, lady, believe me, I have acted foolishly, and been very, very headstrong; but I have loved Lord Ronald with a pure and honest love, and he has visited me with a dreadful punishment. Ifl have erred much I have suffered much ; aud if my poor parents only knew how I am placed, T would be released, and hide my head in some convent, where I would have time for repentance.' ' Courage, dear Alice/ said Lady Jeannie. 'We must escape from this vile den. I wish I had something to defend myself with. I had a dagger, but 1 lost it when I fainted.' Alice rose and opened a drawer in the inlaid table, and brought forth several daggers. They were richly ornamented, and of different lengths and shapes. There was the Italian stiletto, short and sharp ; the vile glass dagger that broke in tho wound, likewise an Italian invention ; the Spanish knife, with a long broad blade", that both cut nnd thrust ; and the French poignard, without which no gentleman in Scotland was in full dress at that period. When Lady Jeannie was examining tho weapons, Alice said with a faint smile — ' These things were not brought here for me. f found them there by accident. I fiincy they had been forgot, or they would have been taken away. The time was not long since when I would have shuddered at the eight of a naked dagger, but now I will take one myself. I will take life before I remain here/ and she snatched at tho first that oame, and when Lady Jeannie had made her choice, she carelessly tossed the rest back into the drawer, and then resumed her seat. ' Now," said she, * your ladyship promised to tell me something of your own love' I hope it has been happier than mine.' ' Who can tell V said Lady Jeannie, mournfully, shaking her head. ' I bolieve him to be all that is noble and true, and he is so handsome, and he saved my poor life at the risk of his own. Oh, Malcom, Malcom, better would it have been for me now if you had let me go to death than live to such a fate as this/ ond here she broke down, and wept bitterly. Alice consoled her with hopes of escape and kind words, and when Lady Jeannie had recovered her selfcontrol, she told Alice all the little events of her innocent lite, of her sudden and dee]) love for our hero, and her earnest belief that he dearly loved her in return, and she minutely related the events of the last few days, with all of which the reader is already acquainted. They then retired to bed, and next day it was agreed that Alice, as being best acquainted with the rooms, should quietly look around her as to the best means of escape. So, when all were taken up either as actors or spectators in the procession of the Queen's departure, she, unknown to any one, slipped into the secret passage. This she had done before, but without being able hitherto to find out any of the secret doors. Now, with a wax-taper in her hand, she patiently searched the wall to the end of the passage, and was about to give up the search as useless as she had done before, when in the light of the taper she saw the glitter of a bright brass knob. This she carelessly pressed, not thinking that any result would follow, when a door opened with such force as to dash the taper from her grasp, and nearly upset her. Startled by tbis reception, which she thought must have been the work of some one inside, she stood irresolute, but hearing no noise she looked in, and saw that the room was empty. Taking courage from this, she ventured to enter, and on looking round was amazed at the rich and sensuous appointments of the Abbot's . apartments. Proceeding to the opposite door she opened it, and peered out into the long corridor, which to her was the way to liberty, 'purity, and peace. Startled by- the sound of some laughing voices which were, approachng, she softly shut the door, hastily crossed the -room.; picked up her taper, shut the, secret ..door,, and hastened back to Lady. Jeannie, to "whom she communicated^ the: joyful" news, receiv-. ing.. from -her a kiss and an embrace as a

reward. Then she tried the other end of the passage, and now, with the experience of the brass knob on her mind, she soon found out the door by whioh Lindsay had left when he murdered Glenbucket. Opening the door only for a moment to satisfy herself where it led to, she a-J-ain hastened back to Lady Jeannie, who, now satisfied of the possibility of escape, assumed a cheerful tone, and spoke of their future with certainty. The long day passed wearily, and they had not been disturbed, for the Abbot, in the position that he stood with Huntly, was afraid to absent himself from the public apartments of the Abbey, and the other girls did not come near them. At last the. great bell of the Abbey tolled the hour ofmidnight, and all being quiet, they noiselessly quitted their room with dark cloaks thrown over them, entered the secret passage, crept slowly along, and as they pressed the knob of the secret door, a heavy hand caught them by the arm.