A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10531, 18 January 1912, Page 2

A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

OUR SERIAL

By Mrs De Winter) Baker,

CHAPTER I. THE DOWAGER. Lady Treveii ui ;,ul. in her turret in Trevel'fon Castle—a lofty, baronial stronghold on the banks of the Jamar, in a beautifully wooded parte of Cotn""siie waa tapping the polished iloor with her small, high-heeled shoe— a sure sign of impatience. Seizing the faded boll-pull again, alio tugged vigorously at it tor tine third time. 'Til make her 'hear, even if I pull it dotvn,' she mui.mured fretfully; out at iiKit moment the. door opened. Grace Omer, her elderly attendant, appeared, no Little consternlation upon her square, unprepessessing features. "Is anything wrong, my lady?" the asked. "I was down in the kitcheu preparing your beef tea. I could uot come before."

. "Qh, don't trouble to make excuses, j Orner!' replied Lady Trevellan imper- j iously. "I've long ago given up expect- ; dng you to hurry up on my account. Listen—l have had a letter., Miss Lascellesaccepts the situation.. .She • will come down to-morrow from 'Lori- j i don. But that's not all. I have heard "from Sir Erie, too— J he is coming down to-morrow too. Now, shall I put nun off ? -It might be wise." Grace Omer's dark, hard face was thoughtful. She appeared to be rapidly summing up the situation. / "There is no need, unless you specially wish it, my lady. Everything is er —,j n order. And you know Sir Urno. •never-never " "Never pines, you mean?" finished t)he dowager., "No—thank heaven ! ie iuis no cause to be suspicious." "That is so, my lady," Orner went on. ''But what about this young lauy, Miss Lascelles? You tell me she is •well born, and will have a great deal of money when she comes ot age. And the photo that you showed me maKes her out to be quite a goood-looking girl. Isn't it very likely that your son may foil in love wdilh her?" "Pah!" snapped the dowager. Do nob take notions into your head, Grace Orner. My son goes into society in Ine town. He meets young kdies at every turn. Why should he fall in love with this special one?" Her smile had sometiliing of ounmng in it, and slie watched her attendant's face closey "Well, he is eight and twenty, and must be thanking of taking a mif to himself sooner or later, I suppose, retorted Grace Orner brusquely. > # »ne lowered her voice almost to a wiuispo'.now, and continued, "I've taken your money to keep my mouth shut. My own flesh and blood has suffered by it. If your son marries there will be another person who must not know wu/it you and 1 know." The tightly compressed lips and gleaming black eyes Showed that Grace Omer intended hexwords to convey a deeper meaning. Lady Trevellan frowned angrily at , her attendant. "Don't talk rot, and don't lose your temper, Omer. When my boy wants to marry, and tells me so, then will oe the time for us to discuss—what you refer to now. Meanwhile, fetch me my writing case. lam going to answer Miss Lascelles' letter." The attendant did as she was bid. I but the tightened lips dad not relax, I <ihd though she moved about the room, 1 straightening a chair here and there, and patting a cushion there, She did not cease to watch her mistress oloseiy. The first letter Lady Trevellan wrote in her old-fashioned, uprignt hand, as follows— , . ' "Trevellan Castle, Biokleigh, Cornwall

"DEAR MISS ITASCELLES—Your letter received. I feel sure you will suit me. I beg you to travel down to 'Cornwall to-morrow. The duties I shall require of you are not onerous, and you wall have plenty of time at your'own disposal., One tilling I must insist on, and I have no doubt you 11 be agreeable —viz., punctuality in my household, and a strict observance ol all its rules. The Trevellans are an old, quaint family, and no one questions their whims and fancies. But I see no reason why you and I should hoc 1)8 excellent friends for all that. J air expecting my son, Sir Erie TrevelLau, ■to-morrow, also. Should you chance to meet hiim es route, do not frul to make yourself known to linn. 1 have already apprised him of the tact tiut a youiig lady is coming to the castle w> take up secretarial duties for me. Yours truly,

BLANCHE TREVELLAN. This letter finished, the dowager's iliiand sougllit a second sheet of crested notepaper. This time her manner was more abriupt. "DEAR ERIC," (she wrote), "look out for a pretty, fair-haired girl on your way down to-morrow. She will probably be coming by from Paddington. Slie is a Miss Lettice Lascelles, who is coming, here to be my secretary. Grace Omer is getting old, and makes mistakes in my letters. I shall be pleased, to see yoa, my son. And mind you are civil, it you have the opportunity, to my new secretary- She is no needy, dowerle:>s damsel, but has abundant means ot her own. Still, till she comes of age, dhe is dependent upon her elderly sister. She therefore wishes to earn iv.r own living. So I want yon to do your best to make her contented here. Your affectionate mother, BLANCHE TREVELLAN." Did Grace Omer perceive the little smile that rested on Lady Trevellan's lips as dlie folded and sealed the letter ? If she did, she kept it to herself. But when she went from the room , with the letters in her hand, she lost no time in opening the flap of the one addressed to Eric Trevellan, and reading its contents. A dark flush came to her sallow cheeks, and her thick upper lip, fringed with a disfiguring down ■amounting almost to a moustache, trembled visibly. I "So lam getting old, am I? And I

(To be Continued.)

make mistakes in your letters, do I my lady. Well, I'll make none in this matter.' If Sir Eric is being purposely thrown into the way of this new secretary in the hopes that he will fall \n Jove with her and marry her —well, I shall increase my price, 01 —speak ray mind. I have held my tongue too long as it is." There was a cunning leer upon her face as she i;e.turned Eric's letter to its envelope and carefully pressed 'che flap down. Then slie went clown into the hall and placed the letters in uue l,„ui iMfi ~.., me table.

CHAPTER H. A MAN AND A MAID. TJie e'xpress from Paddington was on the point of starting, already the guard was fumbling for the green (lag, when a beautiful young girl dashed i:p to the tuain. "One minute, please," she cried. "Do let me get in. Never mind about i my trunks. I. must catch the train." Her beauty and evident' distress moved the guard. He stayed his hand eVeh'ui'i i.ne trunks of. the belated lias-' senger were bundled into the baggage car. Then off steamed the train, and Lettice Lascelles was left to arrange her small hand luggage, bag, cloak, and umbrella, as best she could in compartment slie had entered. ~ In doing so slie nearly let the bag fall upon the head of an extremely good4ooking young man opposite, who hlad been gazing at her, ever since her hasty entrance, wondering if he could find some excuse to speak. came at last. . v "Oh, lam so sorry!" exclaimed tne girl, Mushing prettily, as the bag narrowly escaped his head. "I wonder if you would be so kind as to help me to get it in tlhe rack?" A curve of. tlhe dimpled mouth, a gleam of roguish eyes made' every pulse of tlhe young man tingle with excitement. The sight of two gold letters—"L. L."—upon the lether bag emboldened him, when it was safely resting in the cage above, to address its owner. •,.„,. , "Excuse me, but am I ngliit in believing you to be Miss Lascelles?" His pleasant smile revealed a row of eve a, white teeth beneath his carefullytrained moustache. A glorious colour flew to the girl's soft cheeks—toer pretty brown eyes gleamed with evident J delight.

"Yes, you are-'quite right,' slie replied. "And— I suppose you are Sir Eric Trevellan " The young man bowed gravely at her'questioning look, and she held' out her neatly-gloved, hand in frank pleasure.

"I am so glad we have met. Lady Treyellan kindly told me that I mifiirt look out for you!" she went on, feeling her hand held in a strong, firm grasp. "You did more —you nearly annihilated me altogether!' dhaffed sir Eric, glancing up at the bag. "But lam very glad you did not miss the trajn — it was a close squeak, wasn't it?" The young couple seemed to imperceptibly into a state of perfect mutual understanding and friendship. Lettice proceeded to describe how the taxicah in wilridh slio was driven to the station had broken down and delayed her for more than a quarter of an. hour As sihe dJtajfcted on, Sir Erac, watching every movement of her lips, every exipressiion of her sweet, oval face and melting brown eyes, veiled with long, Mack liashes, found (himself stirred to admiration sutih as he had never before experienced.

I TUiere was something, too, in his bright, easy manner that took LetI tdoe's fancy. Impulsive, warm-hearted, frank to a degree, she was wont to take instinctive likes and dislikes. She felt bound to admit to herself that she liked Erie's open, dear-cut features, bis curly, brown hair, his aristocratic, welJ-kepfc hands. She noticed that ho was exceptionally well dressed, without being the least bit -"dressy"—*, thing she abominated in men— hut he h;>d rather a disconcerting hain't of looking -straight into her eyes when he spoke —at was not a.stare nor.was it in the least bit rude, but it sent a curious little thril/1 itiu-ough her. By the time the express had reached Exeter Sir.Eric had come to the conclusion that Lattice Lascelles was quite the most fascinating girl that he ever had the good fortune to meet. During the long jouraey, with so few halts, Letitice's little story was told without reserve, while, enthralled by the soft melody of her voice, he sat ni his comer and .listened. 'The fact is,' she said,"l'm just tired of l>eing at home. Adelaide, my elder sister and I arc orphans, and we don't get on as well as we should. Perhaps it is my fault!" she candidly added. "So when I saw Lady Trevel Jan's -jdvertisement in the Morning Post, I answered it. I'm afraid that you will think- it silly of me, hut it was the address that took my fancy; I liked tl e sound of Trevelllsm Castle.' I think I Q-m romantic —at any rate, I simply adore old houses, old families, and K>ld a.ssociations. Do tell me. is your castle an old one, Has ifc any secrets? Is there a dungeon and dark passages— a j secret entrance and a postern gate, i and everything of that sort?" Her I -waive, childish curiosity amused Sir ! Eric.