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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 287, 16 January 1878, Page 4

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

fßv Mas. Harriet Lewis.]

CHAPTER LUJ.—contd. Tn her girlish shame anil despair Cecil covered her face with her hands. “ I kirnw, or suspected, all this before,’ said Crafton, gently, and In a cone ol sympathy that soothed and coiuiortcU : ‘• r but you have too much sell-respect, Cecil, to go on loving another woman’s husband. Yon will outgrow tins first love in time, and 1 shall feel myself happy and honored in winning tho calmer love of your riper years. You can make me happy and blessed above all other men. I can smooth the sorrows and troubles from your pathway, if you will allow me. Your respect, your esfrern, your kindly regard, will content mo until I can win your deeper affection.” “ oay yes, Miss Cecil,” pleaded old Gretchcn. “Do not reject the he art and home and protection Mr Crafton oilers you.” Tho girl’s drooping altitude and downcast eyes ami strange pallor did 7sot inspire her lover with a conviction df his success. Ho continued to urge his cans-'*, with ardent pleadings, and Cecil listened, with evident pain and shrinking. « Do not urge me further,” she said, at last, in a broken voice. “ You arc very kind ; may God bless and reward yon lor your goodness to me. But 1 cannot wrong you by becoming your wile, while mv heart belongs to another. Nav, hear me out. I cannot wrong m- self in marry where « do not love, it pains mo to wrong yom* kindness by this seeming in gras itudtg but I cannot, m justice to you or to my sell, give you any other answer.” “Oh, Miss Cecil !” sobbed Gretchcn. A spasm of pain conuvlsed the lovely young face. A dreary look settled upon the tender mouth —a look that pained Crafton to the heart. “ I have spoken too soon !” he said, icii'leiiv. “ Lot it be as if I In,id said nothing, Cecil. 1 will wait month? — years—” “ I can never bo your wife, Mr Crafton,” returned Cecil, desolately. “ f shall never marry. I have almost decided to go had; to Zorlitn, and live ami die iu the shadow of the Black Forest. I have money enough to buy me a. iiiMe bon?-**, and Grotcheu and 1 wn! carve wood and train song-birds, and own enough to sutisdy our simple wants —” *‘ Ym could never bear such a life as never. With your youth, beauty, ami acc'cmt In-hmnnls —wuu your spirit and mv-ibllhm—to sink into a peasant's bare end hard existence would be impossible !” “ I don’t know* what I shall do. I am not decided. But I am tired of this hard and terrible world.'’ Why will yon not let me shelter and befriend you?” asked Crafton. “Am 1 so utterly repulsive to you ?” “ Mo. no. Yon know belter, Mv Oration. The man whom Lord Glenham called his friend is worthy any woman’s love, but I have no heart to give you, and I will not wrong you nor mysclt by giving you my hand when I cannot give you my heart.” Despite her gentleness, there was a firmness in her tones and manner that convinced her suitor that his case was hor-eiesp. The heart that hail loved Lord Glenham could never love one of meaner mould. He could have gnashed his teeth m his rage and despair. He quit his face to line window .and looked out upon the dreary Highland scenery with stony eyes and livid visage, lull ol silent wrath and horrible bitterness. Tho very difficulties in his way made the prino seem all the more desirable and worth tho winning. She would mt be bis through gentle means ; then ho would try force. Ho would make her his wife in spite of her opposition. He would crush her spirit, and compel her to assent to Lis proposal of marraige. After ail that had passed, he could not suffer her to pass out of his keeping and go her own way to toll tho story or his treachery, to encounter Lord Glenham, or to attract new suitors, and so be won from him %r over. His visage was set iu a hard and grim expression, and the gleam of Ids eyes hr-1 in it something terrible. If Cecil could have seen him at that moment, her tender-hearted pity and remorse would have given place to aetnr.l terror of him. “ Forgive me,” she said, softly, troubled at Ids long silence. He commanded himself, and turned to her with a sorrowful smile. “ I have nothing to forgive,” he said, hypocritically. “ I would have beau vour lover, but you have no heart for me. I accept your rejection of me, Cecil, but if I may not become your husband, at least let me be your friend.” “ \Ye will be friends,” said Cecil, bolding out her hand with -frank warmth, her countenance brightening. “ If you will accept so poor a thing- as the friendship ~f a nameless girl like me.” o I Audi ho more honored by your p bmmdrfr* than by that of the queen. ,L.- ;( -k upon mo ns your brother. 1 can.imt L avo you at Inverness, exposed to in.-* mails of Fulford’s pursuit. I must see you safe in London at your lormer ; lodgiims, and then you shall see me only when yon will.” Cecil expressed her gaatdudc, and

then the hypocrite again looked from tho windows with gleaming eyes. “ tdhe docs not suspect the trap 1 have laid for her,” lie thought. “ I have tried gentle means—now for force ! She would not have mo as h»r humble lover —now she will know me as her master 1” CHAPTER LEV. THE PICTURE RECOGNISED. Considering the Lilly* nature of a large share of the road, the postchaisc made very good time indeed, rattling into tho streets of Inverness at a late hour of the evening, and drawing up with a grand flourish before the door of of the quiet, oldfashioned hostelry which Crafton had before patronized. After tea had boon served, Crafton descended to the bar-parlor, where ho found the landlord alone, and in the act of closing the bar for the night. “ Give mo a brandy-aml-soda,” he commanded.

His order was filled promptly. ;i We will get off on the early train,” said Crafton. “ Please see that wc are called in time, and that a good breakfast is served to mg ami that a carriage is in readiness. I will settle tho bill notv, if you will kindly make it out.” He settled Ids bill and returned to the pm lor up stairs. The lights were burning. The lire was low. He sat down before the hearth and gave himself up to his thoughts. Presently the door of Miss Rosso’s room opened and Gretchen came forth. She carried a little packet in her hand, and her eyes wore red with weeping. She approached Crafton with a cautions tread, and spoke to him in a low voice, scarcely above a whisper. <! i hoped to find you here, sir,” phe said. “ Sly young mistress is asleep. She dropped off the minute her head touched tho pillow'. This day’s hard ride, after tho fatigue and exposure of last night, and her illness of a week at MncDougal's has been more than she could bear. She’ll sleep like an angel until the morning.” “ I hope so, I’m sure.” “ I am on the way to my room,” continued Grotcheu, “ and it’s no treason to my young mistress to stop to speak a word to you, who have been so kind to her. Believe me. sir, she is very grateful —” “ 1 want more than gratitude !” “if you would give her time, sir, she would give you love,” said Gretchcn, earnestly. “ She. has well-nigh worshipped that false lord, who is now married to another ; but sue is too wellprincipled to go on loving another woman’s husband. If you will only give her time —say a year or two —” Bay au eternity ! 1 cannot wait a month. % I have given up my whole life to her, I think of her, dream of her, adore her. Can you not persuade her, Gretchcn, to marry me to-morrow ?” he questioned, eagerly. “If you can and will, I will settle an annuity upon you for your life. You shall always have a home with Miss Cecil, and be cherished by ns both. You have influence with her—” !: But not so much as you think, sir. She is the lady, lam the servant. She would never allow rac to dictate to her, or persuade her into an action her conscience or judgment did not approve. She thinks for herself, sir, and has a clear head as well as a warm heart. When Miss Cecil says no, she means no. And, to toll yon the whole truth, sir, I’m alruid she will never marry you. She has no heart to give you, and she will not marry without love.” “Yet you just now encouraged me to think she would some time love me ?” “ That was because I hoped so. My wishes and my judgment conflict. I would give all I have to sec Iter safely married to yon, and to know that you stood between her and her enemies like a bulwark ot safety. But I dare not urge her, Mr Crafton. I talked with her this evening about you. And she says that slue shall never many any one. She likes you as a friend and brother. But she hits no love for you such as wife should give to her husband. And then,” added Grctchen, “ there is that mystery about her birth. It frightened off Lord Glenham. And Miss Cecil thinks it must stand for ever between her and maningo.” “ That is all nonsense. Her beauty will compensate for lack of birth.” “ 1 think so too. But if Miss Cecil knew that she was of honorable parentage, a great load of dread would be taken from her, sir. I think if you could trace out her relations, she might love yon out of sheer gratitude. After what you have already done for her, that would crown her indebtedness, and she could no longer refuse to marry you.” But how can I trace out her history ?” demanded Crafton. I have hoard the whole story from Lord Glenham in a moment of confidence. How can the man who brought flic child Cecil to Zorlitz be discovered after a lapse of fourteen or fifteen years ?” “ The good Frau Brocken had been a governess, and was very accomplished,” responded Gretchcn. “ The walls of the parsonage were hung with her drawings and paintings. Alter that man had gone away, leaving* tho child, she sat down and made a picture of him upon a slip of paper—” “ Ah!” breathed Crafton, bendingforward eagerly. “ My young mistress possesses that picture. It is iu this note-book in my hand. After Miss Cecil dropped asleep, I took the note-book from her pocket,

■where she lias carried it for weeks ami

weeks. She brought it safely from Black Rock, carried it all through our wanderings, saved it in our flight from Loch Low, and here it is ! I resolved to-night to show it to you, sir, Miss Cecil’s best friend, ami ask you to firm out who she is, if she has any friends, and all tho terrible mystery of her hiding away in the Black Forest. If you can do this you will place Miss Cecil under obligations which she must strive to repay by becoming your wife !” ["TO 71K CONTINUED. J