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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 236, 14 July 1877, Page 4

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

[By Mrs. Harriet Lewis.]

GHAPTF.it XVIII. FATE. Lady Trevor had been thoroughly frightened by Mr Pullbrcl’s letter. The danger that she had feared when Cecil Kosse was at Zorlitz, loomed up, doubly terrible and menacing, now that she knew Cecil to he England. The path of crime, however successful, is a path of thorns. The baronet’s widow scarcely slept at night; she started at every sound ; her terrors grew upon her every hour. At times she longed to leave Castle Cliff and her guests and rash to London, it almost seemed to her, absurd as she really knew the idea to bo, that Cecil Eosse had obtained some clew to her history, and that she had come to England to follow it up. “ And if fate or chance lead her in Lord St. Leonards’ way, what may not happen?” sho asked herself. “I am standing upon a volcano. Any instant may witness my ruin. All my Lope is in Pulford. If he fails—what then ? I wish I wore in London. The month is more than half over, thank fortune ! What brought the girl to London ? Love for the Earl of Glenham, or some suspicion of her identity ? Impossible ! I must be going mad. Bhe could have no suspicion—none whatever. Bhe came in pursuit of the earl, the hold creature. 1 will certainly question Mr Grafton, as Pulford urges !” The opportunity was not afforded her until the third clay after the receipt of Mr Pulford’s letter.

Upon that day Lady Trevor and her guests were invited to dine at Breezy Lodge. They drove over from Castle Cliff in carriages, and arrived just before nightfall of the bright autumnal day. Lord Glenham mot them at the door, and the ladies were shown up to one dressing-room, the gentlemen to another. When Lady Trevor descended to the drawing-room with her half-dozen ladyguests in her train, they found the countess, stately as any queen and as gracious, waiting just within the door to receive them.

Lady Glenham bent her gray head to kiss the handsome brunette face of the brronet’s widow, looking approval at the brightness of the hitter in her dinner-dress of pink brocade, with ruffles of old point lace, and ornaments of diamonds.

“ How very handsome she is!” thought the countess, her eyes following the tali and rounded figure. “ Why cannot Gordon love her ? We have never done her justice —the marquis and I—on account of our dislike to her mother. But Edith is undeniably a beauty, aud would be a charming wife for my sou, in spite of the fact that she is some years older than he ! If he would only admire her and forget Miss ilosse, I should be happy !” Lady Trevor’s first glance about the long drawing-room was in quest of Mr Crafton. He was standing near the hearth, and her eyes brightened at sight of him. She bowed to him very graciously, but there was no opportunity for speech nt that moment, the other gentlemen claiming attention. Lord Glenham proved very attentive to Lady Trevor, but any one could see that there was no love in his looks or thoughts as regarded her. They were kiuspeople, and he had for many years been her friend, trying to reconcile her grandfather to her, and regarding her almost as a sister. He knew her to be elder than himself, aud it had never entered into his mind to look upon her in the light of a possible wile for himself. He took her in to dinner, and she occupied a place at his right hand, the countess having .so arranged it Ho was in better spirits than lie had been of late, and Lady Trevor’s secret love for him grew stronger under Ids new warmth and geniality, fshe even, in spite of reason, fancied that he was beginning to regard her with something of tenderness akin to her own.

The gentlemen returned to the drawing-room with the ladies. One of the guests—a lady—sat down at the piano and played a brilliant operatic air. Lord Glcnham was discussing tho shooting with one of the gentlemen from Castle Cliff, and Maldred Grafton sat alone near the window, half hidden by the curtain, watching the scene and listening to the music. Lady Trevor swept across the room and sank down into a fauteuil beside him.

“ When did you return, Mr Grafton ? ” she asked, with flattering interest. “ I heard yesterday that yon were gone away again, this time to Inverness.”

“ Yes,” replied Grafton, in a leisurely voice. “ I have been to Inverness, and returned at noon to-day. It’s a long, hard ride over these roads, Lady Trevor, particularly when one goes and returns in so short a space of time.”

“You have friends at Inverness, I suppose?” said Lady Trevor, playing with her fan. “Oh, no,” he answered. “I went over only on business, to fulfil a few commissions, and that sort of thing.”

“ I have been longing to ask you a few questions, Mr Grafton,” said the widow, with a confidential air. “ Something about your adventures of last summer, you know. “ So ! ” thought Grafton. “ That’#

why she’s playing sweet to me. Wants to hear about Miss Eosse. She is jealous of Lord Glenham, that’s the secret! Ask your questions, my charming widow, I shall be delighted to auswi r thorn ! ”

He repeated the hitter sentence aloud, in a more respectful form of address. “ I want to ask you about this Miss Eosse,” said Lady Trevor, in a very low voice. “Is she beautiful ?”

“ Remarkably so.” “ Good and intelligent ?” “Both to excess;” and an amused look crept into Grafton’s eyes. Lady Trevor saw that he had mistaken her motive for that of jealousy, and was secretly pleased. “ Do you think that she loves Lord Glenham?” asked the widow. ‘ I know it. And ho loves her with all his soul ! Whether they will marry or not remains to be seen,”

Lady Trevor sot her lips firmly together for nu instant, repressing the words that rose to her lips. Bhe intended to be very cautious, and pursued her inquiries very carefully, but Grafton merely answered them categorically, and gave her no information she had not previously possessed. She dared not betray her own knowledge of Herr Brocken’s death and Cecil’s departure from Zorlitz, and all her skilful questioning utterly failed to draw the desired information from Mr Grafton, She finally gave up the attempt in despair. “ He is. too deep for me,” she thought, excusing herself gracefully and seeking a new resting-place, “ Altogether too deep, I can do nothing with him. I don’t believe that lie knows the girl’s present address, however.” Grafton’s amused smile deepened as lie looked after her. “ Jealous as a Turk.” he said to himself. “ M]ell, my lady, if all goes well with me, you’U have plenty of time to try your arts and fascinations on Glenham. And yon may win him yet, so don’t despair ! ” At half-past nine the carriages were ordered. The long twilight was deepening into a bright and moonlit night, when the guests took their leave and returned to Castle Cliff.

Before she slept the widow wrote a letter to Mr Pulford narrating her di - cussion with Mr Grafton and her utter lack of success. This letter was sent on its way to Inverness by a mounted messenger soon after daybreak. It was a week before Lady Trevor heard again from Mr Pulford. He stated that he should not return to the Highlands, being occupied with his search for Miss Eosse. He informed her that the Marquis of St. Leonards was in town, and advised her to come to London on leaving Castle CHIP, in order to strengthen her position with her grandfather. He wrote that ho had had no success whatever in his search so far, but was not inclined to despair. Ho desired to consult with her as soon as convenient.

The month seemed to drag yet more heavily to Lady Trevor as it neared its close. She was impatient to be off to the southward, but concealed her impatience as cleverly as possible. Lady Glenham quitted Breezy Lodge a day or two after she had made her compact with Grafton, and after sho had had a second private interview with him, and returned (p England. Upon the last day ot the month Lady Trevor and her guests embarked upon her yacht, and set sail for England. The pretty Undine was attended by fair winds and weather during her trip to Glasgow, at which port the voyagers disembarked, proceeding by rail to London.

Lady Trevor arrived at her townhouse late one evening in early October. Mr jPnlford was waiting for her, the house was aired and warmed and prepared for her reception, and sho passed into her luxurious drawing-room, followed by her suitor, while her maid proceeded up stairs. “ Well,” said the widow, wearily,

“ any news ?” “Of the girl ? Not any,” answered Mr Pulford. “ I’ve searched high and low for her. Of course I didn’t expect to find her immediately, but I fear I shall not find her at all. It’s hard work, searching for one girl among millions of people.” “ Bhe certainly has not communicated with Lord Glenham,” asserted Lady Trevor. “Do you suppose that Grafton knows her address ? ” “ No. How should he learn it more easily than I? I think she wishes to hide from Glenham and Grafton, and if my theory is true so much the better. I informed Lord St. Leonards of your intended arrival, and requested him, in your name, to call and see you. I met him in Bond-street this morning, hut he said that you would be fatigued, and he would not intrude upon you for a day or two.” “ Then he intends to' visit mo ? Good. I’ll go up and dress, Pulford. You must stay to dinner, and we will have the evening to ourselves.” “We may not have another evening alone together for some time, Edith, for the date of your return to town has been heralded in the newspapers. And that reminds me, there was a notice in the Court Journal a week or two ago to the effect that you were engaged to be married to Lord Glenham. Now whose work is that? Yours?”

“ Mine ? How can you ask such an absurd question ? I did not even know there had been such a report. Some newsmonger invented it! ” fTO EK COiTTXJrCBD.J