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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 281, 22 December 1877, Page 4

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

fßv Mus. llaiuuet Lewis.]

CHAPTER XLl K.—conid. The earl started. “ What enemy could she have ?” he questioned. “ Hire—so innocent, so young, so good ! It is impossible !” “ Not so. A jealous "woman like Lady Trevor might have caused her to bo snmyyled out of tho country, or might even have destroyed her. I fancied that the handsome widow loved you, Glenlnnn, until these reports of her engagement to that Pullbrd came out. No one could compel her to marry him, so she must marry him from inclination. And if that is true, she couldn’t have loved you, you know.” Tho carl’s face flushed hotly. “ We will not speak of Lady Trevor, Grafton,” he said, gravely. ,£ I believe her to be incapable of crime ; and, if it were true that she had scut Miss Rosse to the Antipodes against her will, she would have been guilty of a very serious crime.” “As you say, we will not speak of Lady Trevor. Ido not share your high opinion of her, Glenham, but, since she has engaged to marry Pulford, I cannot sec that she would have* had sufficient motive to rid herself of Miss Rosse. Rut I am none the less sure that Miss Rosse had a terrible and deadly enemy.” “ Who could that enemy have been? "Who can it be 1” “ Therein, possibly, lies the clew to the entire mystery. I know the history of Miss Rosie. What was her origin ? Who was the man who brought her to the pastor’s house in tho depths of the Black Forest ? Tho pastor received a letter from that unknown just before his death, which betrayed a positive enmity for Miss Rosse, That unknown expressed his desire that the young lady should marry a German peasant, and alluded to his stipulation that she was to have been brought up as a servant. Certainly, that man, who never betrayed tho nature of his relationship to Miss Rosse, and who certainly hated her, and who desired her to bo brought up in ignorance and as a peasant, is likely to have discovered her departure from Zorlitz, her presence in London, and to have formed some design against her liberty and life. I think, Glenham, that the man who took her to Zorlitz, who knows the real story of her biith and parentage, is the author of her mysterious disappearance.'’ “ And I believe it too,” cried the carl, convinced as much by Grafton's earnestness and positive assurance as by his own reason. “Wo have stumbled upon a theory which must be worked up. We will consult detectives anew—” “ And fail as before. Tho man who hated or feared Miss Rosse has done his work well. She lias been eight months missing. We have searched Great Britain and the continent of Europe. We have found no clow to her, She is dead—they must both he dead.” ££ I will not believe it !” cried the earl, with passionate emphasis. * £ Miss Ros'-'e is not dead. I leel that she is living. I know that, were she dead, some instinct would tell me the awful truth. 1 believe that she is in trouble in sore and terrible distress, that she may bo a prisoner somewhere—but I cannot, will not, believe that she is dead l” ,£ flow or whore she died, or who buried her,” said Cratton, dejectedly, ££ we shall never know, but one thing is sure—if tihe were living we should have found her.” “ I shall not cense to hope,” declared the earl resolutely, although his face was pale and deeply anxious, £! as I shall not cease to search for her. I know that I shall find her some day, Grafton, sooner or later. I shall devote my life to the task of finding her.” ££ Then you will waste a life that might have been blessed to yourself and others, ami will make your mother miserable,” said Grafton sighing. “ iVn* Lady Glenham! fcjhe idolizes you, my friend. lam sorry for her. I have a trick of bearing every one clsc’s burdens,” he added. ££ I feel Miss Rosse’s loss as deeply as you do yourself, I think.” ££ 1 have proved your friendship in my great trouble, Grafton,” declared the earl, warmly, stretching out his hand to grasp that of the traitor. ££ You have given all your time and sire.igtli to this seemingly hopeless search. 1 shall never forget your goodness.” The loud rat-tat of the London postman upon fhe door below rang through the building and interrupted Grafton’s reply. A minute later, the janitor of the house appeared, bringimg a letter to Grafton. Tho latter took it carelessly and laid it upon the table. ££ As I was about to say,” he remarked, “1 have been a true friend to you, Glenham. If I coaid find Miss Uosso and restore her to you, I would give naif tho remaining vears of mv iff—” Me turned the loiter up, so that his ga/iO rested upon the address. The (paaiut German-looking characters arrested his attention. He stared at the post-mark.

“ A begging-letter, I suppose,” lie said, interrupting himself. “ From Scotland, too ! I can’t quite make out the exact address, I have no correspondents there —it must bo a begging letter. Perhaps it contains a reminder from our deer-stalker, that I left in such haste as to forget his douceur. If you’ll excuse me I’ll just glance at it.”

He tore open the envelope. A long sheet of coarse blue paper fell into his hands. Ho opened it, and the incoherent letter of poor old Gretchen was spread before his eyes.

As he saw the signature, at which ho glanced first of all instinctively, ho started, his face growing pale ns death. His eyes lighted up with a burning glow, and a mighty agitation seizing upon him. The letters danced before him on the page, fading or melting into a great blur, and the paper rattled in his shaky hands.

The carl regarded him in wondering surprise.

“ Are you ill, Grafton ?” he asked anxiously. Grafton mattered an unintelligible response, shaking his head. He felt the necessity of hiding his wild and sinister joy, and summoned to his aid all his powers of self-control. As a miser hides las treasures, so would ho have hidden his letter at that moment but for fear of exciting the suspicion of the carl. He could not lay the letter aside unread, and, as soon as his vision cleared sufficiently, he glanced it over with devouring eyes.

As ho took in all its meaning, as he comprehended that the letter was from Grotehcn, that Cecil Rosso was alive, and that he of all men, lie and not the earl, had been summoned to rescue her from a deadly peril, his heart swelled with a jubilance ho could not conceal. He turned his face from tho view of his companion, his eyes gleaming, his lips parted wolflshly above bis white teeth, Ids breath coming bard. He crushed the letter in his hands and thrust it into his packet. A decanter stood on the table near. Ho poured a half-glass of brandy and drank it at a draught. ££ It’s bad news !” he said, his voice tremulous and husky. ££ A friend is in groat trouble, and bogs me to come to him by tho first train. He meditates suicide. I must go to-night. Where is my latest Bradshaw ? I bought one last week.” He made a search for it and found it, ££ I’ve an hour in which to catch the train,” he presently announced, his voice still quivering with suppressed excitement. ££ I shall have to be expeditious. I am sony to cut your visit short, old follow, but I’ll see you again upon my return to town, in two or three days.” He hastened to pack his portmanteau with changes of linen, and to get out his his heavy overcoat for night travel. No suspicion entered the mind of the young carl that the friend he trusted was playing him false. He did not dream that the letter which had caused Cratton so much agitation was from Cecil’s servant, and that it contained the address of the missing girl. Too noble to suspect treachery in his kinsman, he accepted Grafton’s confused explanation as tiutli, and forbore to question him upon what lie doomed the private affairs of one of the traitor’s friends. Ho regarded Grafton in a leisurely manner while the latter hastened hi& preparations for departure. {£ I think I’ll go to the station with you,” he remarked, consulting his watch. ££ You’ve no time to lose if you expect to catch the night-mail.” Grafton rang and ordered a servant to ‘fetch a cab directly.” |~TO BE CONTINUED. J