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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 237, 18 July 1877, Page 4

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

fCv Mrs. Harriet Lkwis,]

CHAPTER XVlll.— contxl, I'AT K. “A contradiction must he sent,” said Mr Pulford, sullenly. “ I don’t like it. It can’t ho Lord Glenham’s work, because lie loves Miss Rosse. I was sure the notice had been written with a purpose. Lady Trevor laughed and withdrew, going to her room. Mr Pulford dined with her and spout the evening, going away to his club fit ten o’clock.

The next morning the stream of visitors, who usually thronged about the wealthy widow, began to arrive. Lady Trevor denied herself to some, and saw one or two. She was in her morning-room, lolling in her easy-chair, having just dismissed her dress-maker, .when a servant appeared with a card on

a tray. “ The person wishes to sec your ladyship on important business,” he said. ‘•'Madame Lange 1” repeated Lady Trevor, reading the card. “ Show her up, Janies.”

Madame the ombroulorops and fancy-work dealer of Eegent-strect, was accordingly shown into Lady Trevor’s presence. She bad a parcel very carefully enveloped in her hands. She bowed low to the baronet’s widow, who received her graciously. “ I have sent to inquire once or twice when your ladyship was expected nt your town-house,” said Madame Lange, “ and I saw this morning in the newspaper that you were come, so I took the liberty of calling at once.” “ And you have brought the operacloak 1 ordered ? Lot mo see it. I warn you that 1 am very fastidious, Madame Lange. I want somethingunique, uncommon, something that no other lady has.” “ And you have got it here, my lady,” said Madame Lange, unpinningher parcel. “ There, ni} - lady, what do you think of that ?” She flung- open the cloak, a rosetinted cashmere, richly and elaborately embroidered with convolvuli in silverthread, with vines and leaves. The design was artistic, the work was perfect. Lady Trevor uttered a little cry of delight. “ It is magnificent !” she exclaimed. li You sent to Paris for it, I know, mndamo ! ”

“ No, my lady. It was done in London, by one of my workwomen. 6ho designed ft and embroidered it. Is it nob lovely ? ” Lady Trevor examined it closely. She could find no fault in any point. The garment suited her and she asked the price. Madame Lange named a sum of six times the amount she had paid Cecil Eosse for doing the work. “ I’ll keep it,” said the widow, throwing the cloak over a chair the better to display its beauties. “ You’ve a treasure in that woman, Madame. I’ll have her embroider a dross for me. Is she • French ?” She seems English, but Ims a pretty little foreign way with her, my lady. Her work is French out and out. Her name is English, unless she spells it in a foreign way. It’s Eosse Cecil Eosse—” Lary Trevor sprang forward as if electrified. “ What name ?” she gasped. Madame Lange repeated it in wondering surprise. il Cecil Eosse! And she seems foreign ? Where does she live ?” cried Lady Trevor, excitedly. “ Ho yon know of her, my lady ?” “I? . No !” said the widow, calming herself, “ I know nothing of her. I asked because I bad a friend of that name once, a widow—” “ This Miss Eosse is a young girl, who is always attended by an old Gorman servant. I don’t know her address,” said Madame Lange, lying, because she believed that Lady Trevor desired to employ the embroidcress without her intervention, “ If you like her work, I shall be pleased to take your orders, my lady.” "1 am delighted with the work. I wish her to embroider me a costume, but I must see her personally,” said Lady Trevor. “ Send her to me to-day, and I will discuss designs with her. I care nothing about the price, and leave that to you. I am willing to pay liberally—whatever you ask.” Madame Lange, her brief suspicions lulled, arose and said : “ Very well, my lady. It shall be as you say. I will send Miss Eosse to you to-day.” As soon as the embroidcress had departed, Lady Trevor, in high excitement, despatched a servant in search of Mr Pnlford. “ To think,” she said to herself, “ that the girl should be thrown into my very hands I It is fate. And now to bo rid of her for ever!” CHAPTER XIX. AN UNEXPECTED VISIT. Lady Trevor stood upon the threshold of her wicked success. She was about to discover Cecil Eosse, to meet her face to face! Her excitement deepened with every instant. She paced the floor of her morning-room

like a caged panther. Her dark face grew darker still with sinister joy ; her hard black eyes glittered like polished jet beads; her rouged lips were set together in a hard, tense line. She looked all evil in that hour of joy, like a lost soul revelling in deeds of darkness.

“ Oh, why doesn’t Pulford come ?” she muttered, impatiently. “Wo ought to consult together before her- arrival. What are we to do ?”

Her excitement had grown to feverheat before her messenger returned with the statement that Mr Pulford had been found at his lodgings and would present himself at her ladyship’s 1 1 on s e immed ia te Iv.

The message had scarcely boon delivered when Lady Trevor’s trusty ally made his appearance. He entered the morning-room after his usual noiseless fashion, and paused an instant unseen just inside the door, watching the tall, full figure in its long maize-colored robe, sweeping the iloor in haste to and .fro, the. dark face gleaming, the pointed, crucl-looking teeth shut tightly into the full under lip, the eyes full of wicked lire. Then he broke the silence, exclaiming: “ Rehearsing tragedy, Edith ? What’s the matter?”

Lady Trevor started and rushed up to him, crying exultantly ; “ t?hc’s found Horace : she’s ieund 1” “Who is found? Who has been lost ?” demanded Mr Pulford, with an air of bewilderment. “ For whom have yon been searching during the past month ? Whose presence in England endangers my liberty and my fortune ?” cried Lady Trevor, in a fierce whisper, “ Whose existence is a continual menace to ns ? ’ “ The girl ? You don’t mean—” “ I do !’’ interrupted Lady Trevor, vehemently. “ Fate has thrown her in my way ! She is corning hero, to this very bouse, to see me !” “ Cecil Rosso ?” “ Cecil Eosse !” Mr Pulford stared, amazed, stupefied. “ Do yon see that cloak ?” exclaimed Lady Trevor, pointing to the glittering garment upon the chair where she had thrown it. “ Madame Lange, the fancy-work deader, who Ims done much work for me, brought it to me this morning. I asked her if it had been done in France. She answered no, that a young girl named Cecil Rosso had done it, and I bade her send the girl to me for more orders. She will be here to-day, this very hour, perhaps—” “ The girl may not bo the same.” “ The name is not common. It is the same. Madame Lange said that her Miss Rosso is always attended by an old German serving-woman. Of course, it is the same. There cannot be a shadow of doubt.” “ Calm your excitement, Edith. If the girl were to come now you would betray everything. If she does come, what shall you say to her ? ” “ I shall give her work. I shall make her trust me. I shall be as gentle and gracious as a tigress playing with her victim. But what must come afterwards you know as well as I. I cannot have her at liberty. I cannot live in terror of her. I cannot risk the discovery of her by the Marquis of St. Leonards, or by Lord Glenham. She must be got rid of ! ” and Lady Trer vor hissed the words into the ear of her confederate. <£ I understand. Whatever wo do, we will do together, and share the guilt alike,” said Mr Pulford, coolly. “ I am willing to do anything to retain in our hands the magnificent fortune you now hold. Whatever menaces our possession of that fortune I shall sweep from our path as remorselessly as 1 would destroy a fly.” “ I will have no murder ! ” breathed Lady Trevor, shuddering. “ Not that, Pulford. It cannot be necessary.” “ Pcjhaps not. Wc shall see. But if it should prove necessary wc shall not hesitate even to commit murder,” said Mr Pulford, grimly. “We you, I mean, in particular—have gone too far to stop oven at murder, Edith. Murder would be preferable to suicide. You may bo forced to one or the other.” “ Hush ! I cannot bear such words even from you. Let ns try anything rather than commit the worst of crime—” “ I am willing, if milder measures will answer. “Do you think I am anxious to imbue my hands in blood unless I am driven to it? the girl must be disposed of; but how ? Sit here by me on this sofa, Edith, and wc will try to arrive at some decision.” They sat down near together, and conversed in whispers for a long time. An hour—two hours—passed. Lady Trevor began to watch the clock with feverish anxiety, “ The girl must be here soon,” she exclaimed. “ I will sec her alone and engage her to do some embroidery for me. After half-au-hour or so yon must come into the room, quite carelessly, as if in search of a book, and observe her,- and take good care to fix her features in your memory. We will be very careful not to excite her suspicions. We understand each other, Pulford.” “We do. And as soon as this girl is safely out of our way you will marry me?”

“ I promise. You will have a right to share in the fortune you will have helped me to retain.” fTO BE CONTINUED. J