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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 259, 3 October 1877, Page 4

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

o - fßv Mrs. Harriet Lewis.] CHAPTER XXXII. TIIK END DRAWS NEAR. OKI Gretchen flung herself upon a conch and raved a.*d wept and sobbed in her agony of despair. But Cecil .stood at her window, white and silent, with grave, incredulous eyes, and troubled, anxious mouth, intent upon the problem of escape. To remain passively awaiting death at the hands of her enemies would be worse than to brave the most horrible fate in the attempt to escape. A month of such waiting would bo an eternity to both the intended victims. And yet escape, in the present state of the weather, would be an impossibility. “ I must wait,” said Cecil to herself. “ I must be bravo ami calm and patient. God will not desert us in our extremity. 1 will trust in him,-even unto the end.” Raising her anguished eyes, striving in vain to pierce the thick gloom of the wild night, Cecil breathed a prayer to Heaven for protection in this hour of need, and then, calmed and strengthened, she turned from the casement and approached her old ■ servant. Como, Gretchen,” she said, gently. “ You must not give way like this. We are reprieved for a month. What may not happen during that period ? Calm yoursoll. Rise, and let us talk the matter over !” Gretchen obeyed, wiping her face, upon her apron, and striving to assume an appearance of solf-com- . maud. ■ „ “ Come, sit down by me near- the five,” said the young mistress, drawingtwo chairs near together. u Wc must talk over our plans of escape. If we wish God to help us, wo must help ourselves !” Gretchen took the seat assigned her. And so, while the three wicked plotters laid their evil plans in the rude, stonefloored kitchen below, the two innocent victims their hatred discussed in the high tower-chamber plans of evasion and self-tlelence.

“ If we intend to get away alive from this house, wo shall need all our strength,” said Gretchen, after a long consultation, in which no decision had been arrived at. “ You look like a spirit, Miss Cecil; your face is so white and your eyes burning. Eat your supper, dear to please old Gretchen, and then you won’t lose your strength.” She arose and brought her young mistress’s plate and cup. Both food and drink were cold, but Cecil ate and drank, and her example was followed by her servant.

They sat up until late. Then wearied and worn, by their terrible experiences ami emotions, they prepared to go to bed. Cecil resolved on a barricade against a surreptitious night entrance by their enemies, and assisted Gretchen to place certain-massive pieces of furniture against the doors, iu a manner to prevent intrusion.

“ Oar enemies, having determined to murder us, will execute their project at a time when we least expect harm,” said .Miss llosso. £ ‘ One thing is sure—they shall not cuter oar rooms when we are asleep.”

“ Gretchen assisted her young mistress to undress, and retired to an inner closet, where her own bed had been placed, while Cecil said her prayers. Neither of the pair kept long awake, but slumbered as peacefully as if .their couches had been guarded by a host of armed friends.

Both awakened soon after daybreak. Gretchen made her toilet and emerged from her closet to find her young mistress fully dressed and shivering with cold, the fires having died down to ashes hours before.

“ Let us remove the barricade, Gretchen,” said Cecil, cheerfully, although her lips were blue and her teeth chattered.

“ Do yon think they intend to Ireoze ns to death, Miss Cecil V' asked Gretchen, in a frightened whisper. “ There’s a mortal chill in the air that makes my very bones ache. Yon, who arc so delicate, how will you endure this cold ?”

Cecil smiled brightly, but made no other answer, as she helped to remove the barricades they had placed the night before.

Old Gretchcn brought a heavy shawl and threw it about Miss Ilosso’s shoulders, and began to walk heavily to and fro, while Cecil took up her favourite station at one of the windows.

The key rattled in the door. Cecil turned about with a start. Old Groteheu halted in her walk, with an expression of alarm.

The door opened, and Mr Jarvis entered, with and armful of logs, blazing coals ami basket of pine cones and light, split wood. Maria kept guard at the door.

By the look of relief that came over the faces of the prisoners Mrs Jarvis read their recent lears.

*.* Wc didn’t intend to freeze yon to death,” she said, “ though that might

be the easiest way'out of the difficulty, only we want to keep you alive until ftvc got ready to leave the place |oursclves.” “ Will the yacht come for you ?” asked Cecil, trying to speak carelessly. “ No, wc shall travel by the mountainpasses, There are three or four rough Highland ponies in the stable, and a good wagon, the same that brought us here,” replied Mrs Jarvis, dumping her coals on the hearth, and arranging the wood upon them. “ And there’s a couple of good bloodhounds in the kennels,” remarked Mr Jarvis, placing his back-log and fore-log in proper position. “ ibegs to remind you of them, Miss Rosso, in case you arc planning to get the ponies and escape.” The fire was soon made, and the intruders withdrew’, caiefully locking the door behind them. Gretchen swept up the hearth, cleaved the table, looped back the window curtains and let in the gray and cheerless light of day. By the time the chamber began to wear a warm and cosy look, Maria reappeared with a broakhist tray, Jarvis keeping watch at the door.

Miss Rosso ate her breakfast without fear of being poisoned, and Gretchen shared the meal.

When the tray had been removed and the prisoners were loft to themselves, Cecil began to walk the door for exercise. “ Shall yon finish the embroidery today, Miss Cecil ?” asked the old servant, doubtfully. “ No, Gretchen. The work was planned to keep mo hero a willing prisoner. I will not touch it again !” “Then what will you do? Yoil’ll die if you remain shut up here, doing nothing.” “ This house is very old,” said Cecil, thoughtfully. “ The rool leaks, the stairs are weak and rickety. It may have been built two or three hundred years!” “ I am sure of it.” “It has seen troublesome days—times of w r ar, perhaps,” continued Cecil. “ I have read stories of ancient bouses with secret staircasoss and hidden rooms. It might be, Gretchen, that this house contained sonic secret chamber.” “ If it did, wo should not bo able to find it. Don’t lot' your bead be turned with romantic notions, Miss Cecil. We’re bad enough off as wo are !”

We can at least investigate these walls Gretchen,” said the young mistress, with a show of reviving hope and courage. “ Bet us try it now. Wo can lose nothing. We may gain something.” Despite old Gretchen’s remonstrances, Cecil began to tap the walls under the bang-lug- tapestry -with tbo fire-tongs. No hollow sound re-echoed from the damp, chill stones, covered over with wet and broken plaster. The old servant, continuing her remonstrances, presently joined in Cecil’s task. The walls were, thoroughly examined with a patience that deserved success, hut only failure resulted.

“It is just as I thought!” muttered the old woman, “ Who ever had such a wild notion, begging your pardon, Miss Cecil ?” “ The notion does not seem wild to me,” responded Miss liosse, wearily. “ I have road that it was the custom in very old times to build secret rooms in all great houses. Such hidden nooks were needed then, for there were bands of robbers bent on plunder roaming through Germany, there were feudal wars in Scotland and England, and—”

“ But wo may he in Norway, Miss Cecil. And if there should possibly be a secret room in this house, it would not be in this tower. No such luck for us,” grumbled old Gretchen.

It was now noon. The two desisted from their labours, and just in time, for Maria brought up a tray laden with dinner. The meal was prepared with the care Mrs Jarvis had always displayed, and was tempting in quality, profuse in quantity, as usual. Maria’s manner was respectful, as heretofore, and she laid the table with care, and spread out the viands to the best advantage, speaking odly when addresssed.

Cecil might have believed the experiences of the preceding night a dream, or the illusion of an unbalanced mind, but for the sinister face of Jarvis at the door, and the sight of the key in the outside of the lock.

The Portuguese woman retired, and Miss Ilosse ate her dinner. The mountain-eyrie evidently contained’ a well-stocked larder. There was roast venison, besides broiled birds on toast, and mutton-cuttlcts with a peculiarly wild flavor. The game had been killed on the estate and preserved out of doors by freezing. Thei’e were coffee, too, and various other delicacies.

“ They don't mean to starve us!” commented Gretchcn. “ As long as they don’t attempt to freeze or starve us to death, Miss Cecil, I sha’n’t utterly despair. If they’ll give us a quick and painless death, it is all I can dare to hope for !” After dinner, when Maria had removed the tray, and Jarvis had replenished the fire, Cecil and Gretchcn extended their investigations to the walls of the inner room. They spent the entire afternoon in their explorations, and it was not until

tlio last inch of wall had been sounded and failure was decisive that poor young Cecil knew how much she had builded upon her strange fancy—how much she bad expected to find some secret inner room.

They returned to the outer room ami Cecil flung herself upon a couch. Maria brought up lights and supper, and Jarvis replenished the fire for the night. When the young mistress and her servant were alone together. Cecil read aloud a few chapters in her little German Bible, and they talked awhile in. low tones, and then retired to bed. This day was a sarnple»of many days that followed. April gave place at last to May. The winds became milder. The snow's yet lingered in the mountain-passes and on the mountain tops, but the impatience of Mr and Mrs Jarvis and their confederate had increased to such an extent that they resolved to remain no longer ut Black Rock, preferring to bravo bad weather and bad roads rather than longer endure this northern solitude. Some deadly significance in the looks or manner of her jailers warned Cecil that the end was near. Maria brought up a bountiful dinner one day, early in May, as usual. There was a sinister expression in the eyes of the Portuguese woman that struck a chill to Cecil’s heart. The woman withdrew, descending to the kitchen. u I’ve taken up her last dinner !” she exclaimed. u I’m bound to leave hero immediately. The girl must die tonight.” “ I agree with you, Maria,” said Jarvis, with an oath. “ I’m sick and tired of this blarstcd place. The girl and her servant must die to-night. The hour is come !” 1 TO BE CONTINUED. J