Lady Trebor's Secret, OR THE MYSTERY OF CECIL ROSSE.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 224, 2 June 1877, Page 4

Lady Trebor's Secret, OR THE MYSTERY OF CECIL ROSSE.

fßv Mrs. Harriet Lewis.]

CHAPTER X. ( Continued .)

Cecil presently retired to her high bed, and Gretchen vanished into the inner room.

The son was shining when they awakened the next morning. After breakfast, Cecil ordered in three or four of the morning newspapers, and eagerly studied the lists of “ Lodgings to Let.” She cut out most of these, ordered a Cab, and, taking Gretchen with her, went oat to secure her future homo. She had a hard task before her, and after several hours’ search returned to the hotel disheartened —and * unsuccessful.

After dinner she requested to sec the landlady in the little hotel-parlor. The proprietress came in at once, and Cecil plunged into her story without delay, desiring advice. “ I have been out to-day to find lodgings,” she said, frankly. “We thought they would seem more homelike than a hotel. I cut the advertisements out of the newspapers, and we have been a great many miles in the cab, but we found no rooms to suit us.” “ That is singular,” replied the hotelkeeper. “ Was it that you were difficult to suit ?”

u Perhaps so,*’ answered Cecil, with a little hesitation. “We wanted three rooms—a parlor and two bedrooms—in a respectable house and street, at a moderate price.” “ I should have thought they would have been easily found.” “ We found several lodgings which we liked,” said Cecil, “ but the keepers of them demanded references. And wo had no references.’’

The landlady looked at her lodger doubtfully. “ That is singular,” she commented. “ Do you know no one in London ?” *• Not a soul. Wc come from Zorlitz, in Germany, where rny good uncle, the pastor of the Lutheran church, has jnst died,” explained Cecil, sorrowfully. “ I am of English parentage, and being left alone, naturally desired to come to England. Any of the villagers, or the new pastor of Zorlitz, would answer for us that wc were honest and good.” “ Your face declares that for you, Miss,” said the landlady, who had conceived a great liking for the beautiful young girl. “ You are much too pretty, if you’ll excuse me, to be wandering about to all sorts of houses in answer to advertisements. If you wish, I’ll find lodgings for you. In fact, I know of rooms that will suit you precisely, and the landlady, Mrs Thomas, is my own sister.”

“ You are very kind, and I thank

yon.” “ Oh, not at all, Miss. The truth is, a hotel is no place for you. At my sister’s you will live more private-like and retired/ If you wish I’ll take you around to her house directly.”

Cecil assented and ordered a cab. The three entered it and proceeded to the address which Mrs Carey bad given the driver.

“ It’s a most respectable locality,” said the hotel-proprietress, as they were whirled along over the pavements—- “ Number Four, Queen’s Crescent, Argyle street, Bsyswater—and most genteel, with a solicitor living next door, and a doctor at Number One, and a rich city merchant at Number Seven. And my sister has a fine set of lodgers, a young medical student, a professor of music, and a curate—quite professional, I tell my sister.” Qnren’s Crescent, Argyle street, Bayfevrater, proved to be a very clean and qureti.region, with an air of respectability abdtti,its dull brick houses. The Crescent frontal, a section of park-like ground enclosed with an iron railing. There were no shops of any kind in the vicinity, a fact which Mrs Carey pointed out with pride. The cab stopped before Number Four and Mrs Carey led the way up the walk to the door. She rang the knocker vigorously, and a maid appeared, giving them admittance, Mrs Carey ushered Cecil and her servant into a parlor and hurried away in quest ot her sister.

She returned a few minutes later accompanied by Mrs Thomas, a stout, red-faced person, with a kindly, goodnatured face which was very attractive to Cecil- Mrs Carey effected the necessary introductions, and said: “ My sister says that she thinks her rooms will suit you, Miss Eosse, if you don't mind the third floor. The drawingroom floor is let to a family, but there a e rooms above that have been recently bft vacant.”

“ Come up and look at them,” said Mrs Thomas,, charmed with , the beauty of the young girl, ,and with the winsome manners that always won friends for Cecil. “ They are newly furnished.” Cecil followed the landlady np two flights of stairs to a front room upon the third floor. It was a spacious chamber, fitted up as a parlor, and possessed three windows looking out upon the park-like enclosure in front of the Crescent. The carpet was of crimson figures on a gray ground; the furniture was of crimson reps, and there were two framed engravings on the white walls, A neat little bedroom, overlooking a small

courtyard, adjoined, and the cleanliness of this latter chamber was apparent at a glance. A smaller bedroom at the rear end of the hall adjoined this, and was deemed suitable for Gretchen.

“ I like these rooms,” said Cecil, “ but I fear they will be beyond my means.” “ I will let you have them for a guinea a week, Miss Rosse, although I have had thirty shillings for them ” said Mrs Thomas. “ Attendance is included; that means that your food will be cooked for you in my kitchen by my cook, and served to you in my parlor.” “ I will take the rooms,” said Cecil, after a brief conference with Gretchen. “ But I am a stranger in London, and can give no references. Can I not pay in advance instead ?”

She took out her pocket-book, extracting from it a sovereign and a shilling, and tendered the money to Mrs Thomas, who took it With a smile. “ When can I conic ?” the girl asked.

“As soon as you please. The rooms are ready for occupancy, and they are now yours.” “ Then I will come to-night—”

“ You had better stay now. Miss Rosse,” said Mrs Carey. “ I will send yonr boxes to yon. It is not necessary that you should return to the hotel.” Cecil acted upon this advice, and removed her hat and jacket, taking possession of her new quarters. Gretchen returned with Mrs Carey to the hotel, and came back in the cab with the boxes. Mrs Thomas brought up a supper of hot toasted muffins, tea, marmalade, ami cold meat, and waited upon her new lodger with her own hands. Then she explained her system of housekeeping, and Cecil placed a sovereign in her keeping to be expended for tabic supplies. The next morning, alter breakfast, Cecil and Gretchen sat down to consider their future mode of living. Both deemed it advisable to keep their little fortunes for age, illness, and pressing need. Both were anxious to work. Mrs Thomas came in in the midst of the conference, and Cecil appealed to her for advice.

“ What can you do, Miss Rosse ?” inquired the landlady, with interest. “ I can teach music, French, German, and the usual brandies of education,” said Cecil. “ I understand mathematics very well indeed. lean paint and draw, embroider, and make lace, and many fancy things that young ladies arc taught to do in Germany.” “ Would you like a situation as governess ?” Not as resident governess, I must not be separated from Gretchen,” answered Cecil. “If I could do something to pay our current expenses, I should be very glad.”

“ Embroideries in silk and wool sell well,” said Mrs Thomas, meditatively. “ If you could do something in that line it might be sold. There’s a rage for embroideries at present.” “ I will buy materials and go to work this very day,” said Cecil. “ Then let me advise you to go to a first class shop in the fashionable shopping quarter,” said Mrs Thomas. “Go to Regent-street for your materials, and possibly you can find sale at the same place for your work.” Cecil thanked the landlady for her advice, and as soon as Mrs Thomas had departed she went out with Gretchcn. A cab conveyed them to Regent-street. “We must go by omnibus hereafter,” said Cecil. “We shall soon understand the system of onmibusses.” The cab tlrew up before a fine shop, with plate-glass windows, and Cecil alighted. A shopwoman, handsomely dressed, came forward to wait upon her. Cecil made known her wishes, and patterns and wools were spread before her.

“ Do you ever buy these when completed ?” asked Miss Rosse. The shopwoman looked surprised. The proud, young face and patrician air had led her to believe her customer one of importance, and there was a perceptible difference in her manner ns she responded: “ That is not our way of doing business, Miss. We have several embroiderers in our employ, and they execute all orders.”

“If you desire to add to the number of your embroiderers, I should like work,” said Cecil, gently. “ Here is a sample of my work.” She displayed a strip of cashmere elegantly embroidered in silk. The design was her own, and simply exquisite. The work was marvelously fine and beautiful. The Herr Pastor’s wife had been skilled in the arts of the needle, and Cecil’s taste and talent had made her productions superior to that of her teacher.

The shopwoman examined the strip, which was a portion of a dress Cecil was embroidering for herself, and exclaimed:

“ Why, this is the real French work. Excuse me; I wish to show it to madame.”

She carried it into an inner room, and presently returned, inviting Cecil to enter. Miss Eosse followed her, finding herself in the presence of the proprietress of the establishment, a stout, dark Frenchwoman, who would have received her with an air of patronage but that the girl’s unconscious dignity compelled her respect. . “ Your work is very fine, Mademoiselle,” said the shopkeeper. “ I can give you plenty to do, with very good pay I have an order #n hand for a baby’s cloak in white cashmere, and as it is for one of my best customers, who

is very particular, and as my best embroideress is fully occupied with work taken before this came in, I have been compelled to keep the lady waiting. Who designed this work of yours ?” “ I did it,” replied Cecil, modestly. “ Then make me a design for the cloak. I will pay well for it if it suits mo. And you shall have the task of embroidering the garment. I can give you constant employment.” “ I had expected to find work only with difficulty,” said Cecil. “lam a stranger in London, and where there are so many women out of employment who have always lived here, it seems strange that I should get something to do at once.”

“It is not strange, Mademoiselle. The trouble with most people who do not get work is, that they cannot do anything well. A skilled workwoman can always get work. There is room for first-class milliners, dressmakers, and people of other trades everywhere at good pay, if they will seek their place and do their best in it. When will you bring the design ?” “ 1 should like two or three days in which to perfect it, but I may come sooner.” The interview was thus concluded and Cecil returned to the cab and Gretchen. After directing the driver to proceed to a stationer’s, the young girl exclaimed : “It is all right, Gretchen. lam sure of good pay and plenty of work. This is better than going out as governess. We shall be always together, ami I won’t be obliged to enter strange houses and meet strange people.” At the stationer’s Cecil procured drawing materials, and they returned to Bayswater. The girl entered upon her new task with enthusiasm. She made an elaborate design, weaving it into a score of graceful and dainty fancies. Roses and buds and trailing vines, grew under her pencil into a creation of marvelous beauty. Her task was finished the next day, for she sat up late that night to work upon it, and she carried it to Regent-street, Gretchen attending her. The French shopkeeper was delighted with it. Her keen eyes were quick to detect the artist’s genius in the beautiful creation, and she congratulated herself on having obtained a prize in Miss Rosse. When Cecil quitted the shop, she had made an engagement with its proprietress by which she would be more than able to pay her current expenses and those of her servant. Gretchen carried the little parcel of cashmere and embroidery-silks. As they passed out into the street, Cecil looked for an omnibus to convey them home. The two were standing upon the curbstone, when a man, who bad been sauntering leisurely along the pavement with a discontented expression on his swarthy face, caught sight of them. He recognized them with a great start, and sprang forward, exclaiming: “ Miss Rosse ! Cecil I Can it be possible ? ” The girl turned hastily and recognized him with a glow of pleasure. “ Mr Grafton ! ” she exclaimed. “ Maldred Grafton, at your service ! I’ve just been over to Germany to see you. No one could give me your address. This is pure luck. Thank Heaven, I have found you ! ” and an exultant flash leaped to the villain’s eyes. “ I was always a lucky fellow !” fxo BE CONTINUED.]