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

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 289, 23 January 1878, Page 4

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

[By Mas. Haiuuet Lewis.]

CHAPTER LY.— contd. When Lord Glenham had boon put • n full possession of all the facts in the case, as known to Mr MacJDougal, up to the hour of Grafton’s appearance ut the Macßougal farm, the Highlander paused to take breath. Ihe call seized the opportunity to repeat his inquiries for Miss Rosse and his kinsman. “ I am cootnin’ to that,” said MacDougnl. “ This inornin,’ when we were a moorniu’ the death oi tne pair young lady an’ the foreign woman, considerin’ the mysterious dispensations o Providence, Mr Crafton rode up an’ asked for Miss Rosse. An’ while we were e’en telling him that she was dead the young lady horse)’, v,T her ankl servant, cam, cot o’ the siiia’ hay-barn, alive an’ well, but pale an’ staggering-like,’ by reason o’ terror an’ oauld. Mr Crafton flew till the young lady, an’ there was a jojfa’ scene.” “ Ay, there was,” said Mrs MacDmigal, wining her eyes. “1’ her sorrow an’ distress the pnir young lady thought only o’ this Mr Crafton an’ the ankl woman wrote to him, tfiling me that he was the only frien’ o’ her young mistress. He cam’ wi’ a speed, and a more woe-struck rnon I never see than was he when he hoard that Miss Rosse was dead. But when he saw the Lonnie lassie coomiu’ till him, ho lookit hk’ ane whilk sees a ghrdst. lie turn it white an’ gaspin’. Aid then ho ran till her, and wad hae take ber i’ bis arms, but for her modesty. He’s a rare iuver, is Mr Crafton.” 44 A lover !” ejaculated the earl. “Ay, he loved her. I doot nay it will be a match soon,” said Mrs MacDougal, with an air of worldly wisdom. “He worships the vera ground she stepes on—” 44 Whilk is a vera sinfu’ thing to do,” interrupted MacDoiigal, with an air of sorority. “ Nac doot he hives her well. She is a bonnie lassie, an’ will mak’ a gnid wife, and I hae nac doot they will bo happy.” Lord Glenham smiled. “ There must be some mistake,” lie said. 41 I know-Mr Crafton thoroughly, and I am sure that his love for Miss Ross is only a brother's affection. But where arc they now ? I desire to see them at once.” “ That is nae possible,” said MacDongak “Mr Crafton tuk her awa’ this morniu’ with!’ an hour after he found her.” 44 Took her away !” cried the earl, amazed. “ I did not meet them !” On being assured that he would overtake the party at Inverness next day, the carl consented to stay for the night with the Mac Leans. The earl sat dow’n by viie fire and gave himself up to thought. “it seems incredible,” lie said in himself, with a shudder, Ll hut 1 cannot doubt that Lady Trevor has conspired with Pulford to kill Miss Rosse ! What has Cecil not suffered ? My poor darling ! When wo sought everywhere for her, she was hidden in an old house on the northern Scottish coast, in the custody of three b.‘cod-thirsty wretches who sought her life ! I shall find her at Inverness, und I shall take her directly to my mother ! With all her avowed haired for Miss Rosse, rny mother could never resist Cecil’s beauty and sweetness. She could never deem her an adventuress when once she had mot the gaze of Cecil’s lovely eyes! Her heart would go out to Cecil at first sight. I know that Cecil loves me,’ and his grave face grew strangely tender. “ I know- that the passionate love I have for her must have awakened a response in her breast. I shall bag her to marry mo immediately. I will shelter and protect her from enemies and now his looks grow stern.

r-Vnv arrow aimed afc her hereafter must liud its way to my breast —not to

He remembered the declaration of the I-lacDongals that Craftou was Cecil’s lover, and he smiled again. He knew, by lover’s intuition, that Cecil’s heart was his, and he believed that his kinsman was acting in the matter as his friend.

He was too excited to sleep. For hours he sat by bis fire until the great logs dwindled to n quarter the original size, brooding with a lover’s idolatry upon the beauty and perfections of Cecil. He was icstless and anxious—he seemed so near to her in this house in which she had been upon the morning of that very day and vet so fur from her.

I fuel strangely troubled, is spite of rav great joy, ’ he said to himself uneasily. “ Yet I know that Grafton will take good caro of tier, and that I shall find her at Inverness, I wonder that Gretchen did not write to me instead of writing to Grafton. I shall know the reason to-morrow.” The earl started early next morning and failing to overtake Grafton, hurried on without halt, and arrived in London in due course of time, haggard and worn, and nearly exhausted. . Procuring a cab, he drove directly to Grafton’s chambers. To his amazement, he was informed by the janitor of the building that his kinsman had not returned from Scotland. He hastened to Queen's, Crescent, Bayswater. Mrs Thomas, the worthy

landlady, received with tears of joy the glad news that Miss Rosse was alive and lonnd, but declared that she had not seen nor heanj from her. Only one explanation of Cecil’s secern disappearance occurred to the earl. Remembering what the MacDongals had said concerning her state of health, lie could only conclude that Cecil had been taken ill upon the route and that she iiad been removed to suitable cpiarlers, where Gretchen and Crafton were in attendance upon her. He determined to retrace his steps at once. “ I shall find them at Perth or at Edinburgh,” lie thought. “It seems as il there wore some fatality in all this—as if some now obstacle or peril had risen between us !” He remembered, even in his anxiety, the deep and singular interest which the old Marquis of St. Leonards had taken in Miss Rosse, and was tempted to hasten and tell him of his discovery of Cecil, but lie restrained himself. “ I will tell no one until I can bring her safe to London,” he thought. “ I will spare the marquis my anxieties.” He drove to his bouse in Park Lane, and saw his mother, but not even to her did lie unfold the object of his hurried journeys. In the afternoon, he went again to Grafton’s chambers, but his kinsman had not been beard from. Accordingly, he took the night train for Scotland. He arrived again at Edinburgh in due course of time. A liberal fee to the guards and station-master procured for him the information that a gentleman answering the description he gave of Crafton—the same gentleman whom he had followed Northwards some days before—bad alighted from the train at '■lyUviliiirgVi 1. wo nxglits since, Tritli a. young lady and her maid in his charge. They had not since been seen at the station.

“ They arc here, then,” the carl thought, his heart giving a great leap. I shall find them at some hotel, or, if Cecil is really ill, then in. private lodgings ! The task before me is by no means easy, but with the experience I have had in detective work I shall not fail to discover them. They are here—now to search for them ?” CHAPTER LYL craeton’s success. Miss Posse had started from Inverness for London, with Gretchon, and Mr Grafton, as Lord Glenham had been informed. And she had alighted from the train at Edinburgh, as the earl had discovered for himself, after his fruitless journey to London. What had then become of her ? Weak from her long imprisonment in the old house at Black Hock, she found herself unable to pursue her journey to London without a halt somewhere for rest. It was upon a premonition of this fact that Grafton had builded his vilknons scheme of getting her into his power. Gretchon, in her anxiety for hexyoung mistress, suggested a halt. “ Miss Cecil won’t be abie to travel night and day to London, sir, without stopping,” she said, “ Would it greatly inconvenience you, Mr Grafton, to stop over night somewhere ?” “ Rot at all,” answered Grafton, politely. u I am. quite at Miss Posse s service. I think it would be w’oll for her to stop over night at Edinburgh. I should have suggested her doing so, if you had not.” When they reached Edinburgh, Cecil was scarcely able to alight from the coach. Grafton helped her out upon the platform and into a cab, and gave the order: “ To McGregor’s Royal Hotel.” The litttle party were transported thither, and were soon after lodged in comfortable rooms, a pleasant private sitting-room, with bedrooms adjoining, being placed at Cecils disposal for herself and maid. Grafton, after seeing the party cared for, strolled out. He returned at a late hour, whistling softly to himself as he ascended to his rooms, and having the air of one w'ho has achieved a great and longed-for success. “ It is just as I foresaw and planned from the beginning,” he mused; delightedly. “As soon as I received Gretohen’s letters and knew that Miss Posse was in Scotland, I thought of that old bedlame. Miser that she is, I have bought her, body and soul, for the work I have in hand. She will render mo the service I require, exactly as I supposed she would. Singularly enough Lord Glenham does not know even of her existence. I was never so frank with him as ha was with me,” and lie smiled grimly. “ He’ll go on to Loudon, inquire after me, and failing to find me, he’ll turn back and look for me here. So far my tracks are plainly apparent. He’ll trace us to this house, but we shall leave to-morrow; and I defy him, and all the police of this town, to find Miss Rosse after to-morrow. She’ll be lost to him and all pursuers—as safely hidden as if she were in her grave.” • Cecil slept profoundly that night, without a suspicion of the now’ trial in store for her.

After breakfast things had been removed next morning, Grafton assumed a deep gloom of aspect. Cecil, with quickening fears, begged to know what had happened.

“ Be brave and calm, my clear Miss Cecil, said tbc hypocrite. “ I will tell you all. We have been followed—” “ Followed ?’’ “ From Inverness by Mr Pulford I’ declared Grafton, with an appearance of speaking truth. “He was there when we left. Ho lias pursued us, and the man Jarvis is with him.” “ But you can protect us, Mr Grafton ? ’ said Cedi, eagerly. “ They will never dare harm us in a town like this !” “You don’t know the world yet, Miss Cecil,” said Crafton. 44 You have no idea of the cunning of Pulford. He has been to the police officer, declared you insane, and procured a warrant for your arrest, and mine also. He has declared also that he is your lawful guardian. He has a policeman with him now, waiting for your appearance. Must I tell the whole truth ? Through his cunningly-devised stories, ho has secured the support of the law and the authorities. If we go to the station, we run straight into the net spread for us.” “ Then what are we to do ?” “ If we stay here, they will find you. I heard Pulford say to the policeman that, if you did not appear before the departure ot the mail-train, they must visit the hotels.” Crafton told this falsehood with such apparent reluct a ce and such, seeming sincerity that Cecil and Gretchen had no suspicion of his treachery. The younglady sat down white and scared. Gretchen wrung her hands. Both were so ignorant of English law, and both had such hard experience of English people during the past few months, that the tale seemed to them by no means improbable. “ We are lost !” groaned Gretchen. pro BE CONTINUED, J