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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 250, 1 September 1877, Page 4

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

fRv Mrs. Harriet Lewis.] | CHAPTER XXVL—Conti, -j v :i aa^A T • iTcri:.*' 1 ' * j "TTero it is ! .saip Grafton, producing it. “ Bnfc Miss Posse is no longer "qt that address. “Slie'lias disappeared ill the most mysterious fashion. I expected to be able to. Ifi/d i her'for-yon before yon should . discover.,, her;..loss. JL ■ have searched for her-..during the past two weeks, but I 'can , v ,fiud no trace tif her !”■ 5 ■' ! ’ i “ EpfiWl’-V > c ri®fi ; -the,; oar); aghast. “ Why, what can yon mean ? : Explain yonrsfc'lt/ Graftbn;” "" ; “ I have woi'kcd for yon,” said Grafton, plaintively, “ I felYs tried to spare yon this sorrow at all cost to myself, and my reward is to be-'Considered a traitor to • you.-- I-fiadThblight that - out; -years of friendship 'would vouch for me ‘that yoh wouldTrhSLmo thrdagh ‘good and evil . report,, as . L yfoulcl liaVe-i,trusted ” yo«—”,»Tr'.v :d!. . <.h >jif ,n A . ‘ ! ‘‘Forgive me, Grafton,” interrupted the earl, inipulsivcly,_stretc,ldng out his hand -ami'graljMhg member of the traitor, ii Yon must own that jl liad,caipso-to, bp^gric^ec|. ; -=|*-qonld nbt understand your reticence in regard to ■■'tliat visit and Cecil’s coining to London. I gran t that yopr motiyes for .caucnalmcu t were’ lidt' mc'oinpafible'with yotiv Toyalfcy to me. Again-;-forgive me !” i u ij S ejacidated Grafton. “ Lot ns say no more upon so painful a snbjecfas your injustice to me. . iVliss iilossei has disappeared; Glenhimi, /.complhtoly-.and utterly, 'as if she had ; vanished from>the: .earth- ;i It is ; one > of those unacconutable.disappearances that . ..pepur now,aiuVthqnand puzzle j ‘the IcequQst.c|et’o.cfcive |3hb had engaged • to sew sonic; embroidery-work for-Lady .. TTeybr-r-” •• n a ;'l : f. r .- ;M-/| ~ - ‘‘Por Lady rTrevor ?” exclaimed 5 The *conntfess,',ift^dhuitarily' ■ ■ ■ 1 »;BiiignlAv J cdmpflcatioh,'-is. . it’ pot’? ' 1 But Early Trevor had’ no idea that'’ she was the _ Miss Posse of Zorlitz. M.adajn.a Lange recommended the young lady to Lady Trevor, and her ladyship engaged her to go Greycourt lor the winter to repair some valuable tapestry. Miss Eosse, .accompanied -by -■ Gretchen, having reliutpiished Tier lodgings at Bayswater, proceeded in a cab to South .Tjbiiriidy: r : She alightfed* at-Lady-Treioif s hqqppplfhe /footinan summoned a fresh • . cab,_aud :tke_Qrd.er .was given . to, Fusion Seuarpjsfcatipn, yThe* cab yjtl inside—and,, they , haven’t been seen ; sincM w “ u T’' r:n ;: : 1 The pari stood as if turned atonie. ; ... j; triced Jdj|s r ? lifesgfe to Irrid/from , Lady Trevor’s house,” continued Graf- ! -nton.-““-I--harvo~qtrestiou'ed the* cabman , whor confeyqd Tier to, South ■ Andloy- , street'/ TThe? s,o<Sohd bab -whs a chance one, and therp iq n.o,.clew to trace <it; I , have worked very quietly but thoroughly, : and the'mystery rpniaiiis Unpenetrable.” Lady Glcnham’s, eyes /scanned j Graf- i ton’s face , keenly., IS be saw that he ! was telliilg th^6‘ti-ulh; ana breathed more ' f ; : fi-eelyr:. ■> , -f* ■: ;; ...“ The mystery will;soon, be .solved,” exclaimed the. cad, arousing from his brief stupor. “ I will find Cecil. Where is Lady Trevor.?”.'', ' grandfather.” ■ , .S/Wii are expected at St. Leonards to-morrow/’ saidTthe &rl. “ Wo. will go down by the morning train. I will thAifr airy Wesh fight' upon The inatter. And if she cannot/*! will leave you at St. Leonafdsfdhotllcr 1 ;wlnio 1 return to prosecute, *iny for ; ;Miss Eosse. Have’yon ho’ theory in regard to this matter, Grafton ; lo ‘Tfeplxecl’ 'Graftdii/ '-^looijtily. /■.ll sometiifiO;S : tliink ThaPThe 1 cabman hj n may i have ‘ muAfcrd d -llhe; YbUfig- la'dyl r |ii)id her servant for their ■ 'tnbifeyb'-"; ‘But pftener I think" That, some scoundrel, infatuated : fvitf/ 1 Mis r s iS 4tosse’s beauty, may dmfe seized-her and®dopfived Tier jof her, li.bfti-tyV/ The idea is not probable. Such deeds arc not in kccuiiiff with these prosaic days—but what else can! think ? H kaS r£&t, l Zdrlrt^—br la s/net . returned to her IbdgihgV-al --Bay/wittei-. Madame Lauge-ha-s not seen her; she has at GreypOUiE although the honest’ old housekeeper had prepared a room for her/'and hud sent to the sfatiohetd 'meet ~hel*' -'at-' the ’ time ap- , poiqtedTor : . I ; :havovbegun to despair of finding-her.- But if you and I work together, Glenham, we may succeed!” /. We will work togetlior !” exclaimed - the earl, again grasping the hand of nis secret e t wiir go over the whole ground from the beginning. W® will trace her from the moment 'of leaving Lady Trevoi:’s bouse. I will see Lady Trevor,to-morrow, 'and.mee.t-.ybu Kero in this room To-movrow. evening. Great Heaven ! Where can she be ? What can have happened her ?’’ and his voice was sharp .with his agony. . “ Two weeks lost I „,1 fear, that she is dead !” ;' "■> CHAPTER XXYII. A CLHAU, CNKERBTANDING. f. \ J t m. —* '' The young Earl of Gjonham; accompanied by. his .mo.ther>;'proceeded üby,‘ an St. Leonards, in Sussex, . upon the day following their interview

with Maklrcil Grafton at the little family hofel 'in’ Piccadilly." They" were., met at the St. Leonards railway statio|i* ; by the marquis-’s carriage, and conveyeil over the three miles of beautiful country was some day to iulierit. The gates qf The picturfsqirq gray ssfun^ r iopen at their approach, and the carriage... jlotlecl into the noble park, and moved'' (along the wide~limd stalely avquuj/' (bordered bv; ancient elms, towards thcA inansioii; whiillt was *ndl yoTiii sight, jt, i The countess looked .from the open cai-fhtgeT.wmQbwi np%’ '•th i q:->greS < i rqak trees, upon the brewsing doer, and upon' Itho g-Uttcring' waters of The- lakei in the, ■distance, and herdianghty old face flubbed, with pride, as The exclaimed : ' Yon* arc one'bf* the hiibst fortunate of men, G'orcion.., / Y’lonr :titie and estates inherited from -your father were greiit amhinoblel cßy tlie IfalhiteTofl'.ther mafii lino of.the'EaKendalesy yo,u,^spr4ug;frem. ■a, distant branch: 6f the same i'amily, will‘ succeed! to The. TitlbTand iCstatcs;fof tlje’ Marqdis of St..:Leouai\ts.\,.;Yod’ will be doubly -a pcMV.i&e'posfcesaomoLfewo •mngniliccufcr fortunes,,. landriongTof the-' unosb pcovei , f»E-»Qtildfittim'.iu •Eiiglandl jl ;havo but one more wish for you, , audf tliafiThat.yoit-rhay.;r’c^oVb f r{ifilom yoiir J infatuation for. Eosse and marry Lady Trevor.” ‘‘T . declared the early gravely, his blonde < ifach.o'growing't recover from what-yon arc pleased TjoTerm ;ny, iuh/naliun with .Miss Eosse; I, shqflTni{j;ry as 5 -h’er hhsbarrd, ' lf-[ ‘ Canirbt' find, hog, ior ii she refuses to marry,,, me,. H shall mover marry" -’ ,- 1 / And "Lady Glenham knew that hqj ment what Tie said/aml that his resolve-; was immutable ,-as the-decrees of fate. ! Stro t-leaned i back •n-pou Tlrc-t yul liiig : cnsliions, her face., pale, her .heart aching ? Tvith a drcAr/anguish Tod great for expression, ; .• ' The two'sat in silence throughout the of the ,drive f The carriage' •drew up before The great' and massive : porch, and Mr Barkeg.. came, down the steps and opened the door. He escorted the guests into the house, where they were met by the lady housekeeper, who conducted Lady Glenham to the rooms that had been prepared for her. The earl made infpiiries after the health of the bid .marquis, ascertained that' Lady Trevor was in the house, and .their followed, the'guidance 'of the battler to his apartment. The countess made her toilette 'with/ thq assistance of her maid, and. descended” to ’• 'A|' r [she' fentcred,; . Lady Trevor arose from a sofa hear the ■ lire and rushed <tprwurd tonueet her, with a little cry of joy and affectation of im- ■ pulsivoness. ; f , T; r; , , ‘‘ A am. soygiad, tq i>) sec you.j” cried 1 liady"lTevofj '.cm bracing the old countess. “ But yon aVid'nbt 'looking well. Hayc - you-'beeW-ill'?l ,;::: i Lady Glenham-was not looking well. Her > trouble,s , preyed- upon her. The - ' course she was .pursuing to save her sou -from ; marryingg.a supposedy-advqnturqss. was torture tq honorable, falsehoo'd- ; abhorring Iqdy’. ‘.. ~, \ U ;I -'ttiu not''quite s well,T ,think/’ she . replied*, trying To ’smile. ‘■ ,{t - Oh*, 'Edit]!,*' ' these 7 ' 1 strange; new homplicatibiis in ; i-egard J tb 'Miss : Eosse trouble 5 mb more than I can. tel/yon.’ . Ah, ‘hgre comes Gordon ! ’’ ’ " ; . The bdii riTaffc Ms appearaheid. He had scarcely greeted La’dy Ttetor, when Mr Barker "JUl'tcfctl, requesting; the • gub'gt*fi r TB I ' ; Vts ! it t - tnh-;bldiTiiahqhid in the library, Ldrtt’being unable to come to them. . | There was. .no ',oppbH{jfi'i%Tor. conversation between the-Earl and -Lady Trevor. He was impatient to ask her maiiy qnestiousjn, ppgard f to Cecil Eosse, bjnt was obh’§^cd“Tb 1 defer ‘them until after Bis interview' with Lbrd St. : Leouafds. The guests, Lady/IT'evor /neluded, followed Mr Barker to the library. | The ok] jnarquis was seated in.a.grejat arm-chair, his suffering foot, bandaged and swathed, resting upon another chair. -His leonine old face was turned towards the door with a look of expectancy. Hus ; with sudden,warmth at, sight of the young earl, and hoTfckl'O'ut Ins hands in greeting to his heir,—whom he loved as a sojn. “ I atii-glad -to see yon,* my dear boy,” he exclaimed. ‘‘ y/elcome,„,..cqunteds. ‘%riii|a ftj bdl J ' v &y b/d , enemy hai>ntfi*fasEfFTb-_l ; ! _ ,LadyTQlfiuhaifei and) sho|>k were exchanged,'.-aud-ftho h-isitors jwei-e seated. .Lord ; Leonards- iipquirpd when the earl and his ipother had returned frbfn Germahy/but ‘their object in visiting Zorlitz, was. ■ not. mehtiondd. The siibjebl; bftfie earl’s’misplaced affdctibns was too distasteful'Tb the old ihavquis to’ be' broaclic’d iujhis first interview with’his'guest's.''";, '/! ~j . ’ /. Afterthe usual remarks.andinquiries incident To, a. meeting,after - a few; weeks’ separation, the , old lord introduced the mystery that occupied-so large, a share of his thoughts. ; <£ I am greatly troubled, Gordon,” he exclaimed, “and I want your help. iA most perplexing mystery, .which I would give much To .. solve, baffles-Barker aiid me also.. .PoSsibly,..your young, keen intellect may find a solution where we have failed.'.’ 1 • - ' • ..fib BK* bONTiNOED. j ■ . r -• ■‘ r “ r " . '• , “ The single scull rage !” exclaimed an old lady, as-she-Taid down the morning paper, “My gracious! I didn’t know There-- was-a--race- of—men- with --double skulls.”