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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 230, 23 June 1877, Page 4

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

u [By Slits. Harriet Lewis.] CHAPTER XIV. AN ADVENTURE. Old G retd ten kept her word to Maldrcd Grafton, and lost no time in sounding hia praises in the cars of her young mistress. The old German woman, in the delight of beholding a friendly, well-known face in a strange land, and in the glow of pleasure produced by his desire to marry Miss Ilosse, forget her former aversion to him, imagined that she had wronged him in her first estimate of his moral qualities, ami was eagerly desirous of seeing Cecil his wife, the mistress of his house, and firmly established in a pleasant and comfortable home, where no harm could ever come to her.

“If I should die,” she thought, hurrying up the stair of their lodgings, after her confidential interview with Crafton at the coiner of the Crescent,

‘ Miss Cecil would have no one to care

for her, or guard her. Her beauty would be her bane. Perhaps, as Lord

Glenhavn loves another woman and is to be married, she may be proud enough to show him that she do«s not care for him, and may be willing to marry Mr Crafton. She loves me, ami may pay heed to my

persuasions. Poor iamb! I suppose just now she is crying terribly, and even

, old Gietchcn could not comfort her.” \ She opened the door of the little parlor softly and entered silently. To

her surprise, Cecil was sitting by one of the windows, busy at her work. The _,.' girl was very pale, and there was an infinite sorrow expressed in the lovely eyes and about the tender month, but withal she was calm and composed. She even smiled—a very faint and wintry sort of smilo it was, it mast be confessed—when she beheld the broad face of her old servant. “.You here, Miss Cecil?” exclaimed Gretchen.

“ Yes ; where have youhoon ?” asked the young mistress, carelessly, to put a stop to the old woman’s enquiries, “To the. street corner,” answered Gretchen, boldly, “ And I saw Mr Crafton there. We never did him justice, Miss Cecil, He is good and kind, and lie offered to do anything for you. He says if you need a friend you can call upon him as if he were your brother.”

“ Ho is kind, but I shall not need his friendship. Did he say anything more about—about Lord Glehnam?” “ He mentioned that when his lordship went to Zorlitz last summer lie was free to marry whom he would,” acknowledged old Gretchen. “So I suppose that h’.s lordship was not a bad man in making love to you and asking the Herr Pastor for leave to marry you.” “ The earl was free last summer! I knew he could not have been false, a traitor to another and to mo ! 1 knew it !” And the girl’s face grew radiant «s the morning, and her eyes shone like suns. u I did not doubt his goodness, Gretchen. I knew that he could not have been betrothed to any other when he made love to me !” “ No, he was hot betrothed at that time,” said Gretchen, innocently repeating Crafton’s lie. “He had been betrothed, but had quarreled with the lady. Then he came to Zorlitz and fell in love with you.” That may be, and he still be houor-

able.” “ He is terribly proud, like all the English nobility, and when he told the Herr Pastor of his love, and heard that you wore a sort of foundling—forgive me, Miss Cecil—he returned to England and told his mother. She was very angry. Then the lady he had been betrothed to made up the quarrel, and Ids old love for her came back, and they renewed their vows, and he will marry her in the course of a few weeks. He has forgotten his summer at Zorlitz.” “ There you are mistaken, Gretchen/’ said Cecil, with a sudden passionate quiver of the young mouth. “He has not forgotten Zorlitz, nor mo. I will stake ray life on his faith and nobleness.” “ What! You don’t believe in bis betrothal ami approaching marriage ?” “ Yes, I do. But that does not affect the question. He was not bound tome. My nucle did not deem the marriage suitable, nor do I. He has done well to select a wife of his own rank. I could never have born to become bis wife and made him the object of people’s sneers or pity. I know my history, Gretchen, and it is not proper that 1 should marry.” “ Then you do not love Lord Glenham ?” , The golden glint shone out of the redbrown eyes like a glow of sunshine. The exquisite face was illuminated by a radiance that fairly dazzled the old servant.

.“Love him!” cried Cecil, with a strange pathos that contrasted with the ineffable brightness of her countenance. “Lovehim! Yes, I do, with all my heart and soul. I shall love him till I die, and I shall pray for him morning and evening, Gretchen, for his welfare and happiness, but I can never sec him again.”

“ Perhaps you’ll pray for his betrothed

too?” The brightness fled from the beautiful features. “ No, I cannot pray for her !” cried the girl, with a pang ot jealousy trayer-

sing her passionate young soul—“ not yet! But I want him to be happy, and I don’t believe he will be since he must think of mo and our parting, and know that he has won my heart and lett me, to suffer. Knowing what I am, he must pity me !” “ If yon don’t want him to think yon pining away for love of him, why don’t yon marry some one else ?” asked old Gretchen, artfully. “If yon were to marry, he couldn’t be worried about you ?” “ I shall never marry. Who would want me—a tonudling ?” “ Some one loves your beautiful face, Miss Cecil, and worships the very ground you walk on. Ho has no proud relations to influence him. I mean Mr Crafton.” “He? You must be mistaken. He does not love me.” “Ho does. Can’t I road looks ? lie docs love you, Miss Cecil, and I wish you were safely married to him. Why spoil your sweet eyes over such toil ? Why remain penned in the house hard at work through all the bright days ? Why make of yourself an old woman while yon are so young ? He would take you to travel, would give you horses and a carriage, a bright home, and servants to wait upon you ? Hear Miss Cecil, I wish you would marry him ?” “I thought you did not like him, Gretchen,”

“ I may have said so, but that was nonsense. Ido like him. It would be a happy day for me that would see you his witc.” “it cannot ho. He does not know my history ; if he did he would not wish to make me his wife. Don’t speak, Gretchen. It cannot ho. You and I will live together always, with no one to come between us. It was for your sake I conquered my grief, but now I am determined to be brave, to bear my sorrow like a woman, not to give way to tears and complaints. Help me to be brave, Gretchen. Don’t speak of Lord Glenham again until I can better bear to hear his name. I intend to apply myself to work hereafter. Work is said t® be a remedy for sore hearts.” “ Not work with the needle, Miss Cecil. That gives one time for brooding over trouble.” “ One docs not find much time when one is counting stitches. 1 wish I could know more of this Lady Trevor,” said Cecil, forgetting her resolves for the moment in another swift pang cf jealousy. “ I wonder if I shall ever see her ? ” t

She took up lieu work resolutely and began to count her stitches. Gretchen, thinking that she had said enough for the present, sat down to her task of knitting. She had discovered that she could soil fine knitted work, and was determined to earn something in that manner.

Thc name ot Lord Glenham was not mentioned by cither mistress or servant during that day, nor during the week that followed. Cecil put her resolves into practice, working early and late upon her embroidery. She grew thinner and paler, and her eyes seemed larger, and there were often bistre circles beneath them that betokened want of sleep. Old Gretchen suspected her of crying at night in the darkness and solitude of her bedroom. More than once Die faithful old servant had arisen from her bed and crouched by the connecting door between the two bedrooms and listened to the muffled sobs and whispered prayers of the young girl, struggling so bravely with her sorrow; but although her own heart swelled, and her own tears flowed, she never intruded upon that sacred grief. Maldred Crafton called every day for nearly a week, then believing that his absence would assist his cause even more than his presence in the present state of affairs, he made a parting visit, and departed for the Highlands of Scotland, his particular destination being Breezy Lodge. A day or two after his departure, Cecil sat down to her work as usual after supper. The evening had closed in early, and although it was not rainy, it was very dark and gloomy. “ I have only one bud more to work and the cloak will be finished,” said Cecil. “It will bs off my hands in fifteen minutes, Gretchen, and we will take it home early iu the morning. What is that ? The postman’s knock ? There can be no letter for me ! ” But there was a letter for her. The housemaid came up with a missive, which proved to be from Madame Lange, Cecil’s employer. It stated that the lady who had ordered the infant’s cloak was about to leave town and required it at once. Madame Lange desired Cecil to bring the garment that very evening if it could be finished, and if not to come in person to report progress. “I must go,” said Cecil, resuming her needle. “ And you must go with me, Gretchen, of course. How fortunate that the cloak is so near completion I ”

A few minutes’ work sufficed to finish it, Gretchen hastened to enfold, it in towels and wrap it in paper, and Cecil put on her hat and cloak. Both were soon ready, and they set out immediately by omnibus for Regent-street. Cecil delivered the cloak, which was greatly admired by Madame Lange, and received her pay, and with it a new commission. Then, parcel in hand, she sought the street with Gretchen. They walked on in the darkness a little distance. The shops were all closed, and the street was filled with gloom except in the neighbourhood of the gas-lamps. Vehicles rattled by, lut no omnibus was to be seen for the

moment. They halted at the next corner. “ There comes an omnibus,” said Gretchen, She had scarcely spoken the words when a man came running out of the dark street behind them, pursued by two ruffians. He was overtaken, dragged back, and hurled to the ground. Cecil, all unused to scenes ot violence, stood for one moment appalled. Then, comprehending that robbery and perhaps murder was in progress, forgetting herself, she uttered a wild shriek and flow toward the struggling group. pro BE CONTINUED.]