A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10534, 22 January 1912, Page 2

A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

OUR SERIAL.

By Mrs De Winter! Baker,

CHAPTER IV.— Continued

'«ls she popular In tho castle r Mi s Omcr.lmciui!" ask«l Lottico. •Popular ? Why, »ho is intensely hated miss. Her overbearing ways and indent words make more misdhioi Khan you am imagine. She- quanvss wiUn every servant sflie comes in contact with. I wonder how many have OTUI , .0 me and given notice because 01 Omcr's haughty manned lam sure X couldn't count ilhein." "Hhen why docs Sir Eric not miter-

ei "He cannot,' miss. The late Sir Ttamaa Trevolkut, har ladyship's husband, and Sir Eric's fatlher, lett at so that Sir Kri«, though lie took the title, could not touch tilio propent" * h«> mother lived. Ho Ikeus a handsome allowance, but otherwise everything belongs to her ladyship for her lifetime." "llhat is unusual," said Letitice, elevating hex eyebrows, and wondering grootlly a* Hhe atrange position- tlie young man must be on in tllie caistle. "Yes, it is an omusual arangementl" agred Mrs Parfitt, and .tihen in ilhe task of putting the visitor's clotlhes clotlhes straight upon tilve bed, tine convensaitdon dropped. LoUice 1 recaled it as she stood before the mirror, combing out her lovely golden hair. ) v •. How isllie pitied Sir Eric—to be, as it were, only on sufferance in tihe castle. How he must long to have a home of fliis own, however humble, where he couM reign as master. Here in the oastfle ho was ruled over by his motiher, who, in turn, was governed by the sour ; servant, Grace Omer, and could'know no real happiness or comfort . _ soft .heart. •during hei ; so jouim abroad had beeh almost, entirely, excluded from the company of tihe opposite sex on terms ci. equality. There were, of course, the masters who attended .'tihe French school, grave men who gave instruction, but only on rare occasions had I any otiher men. been admitted inside the walls.

. Sir Erie was tihe first main Lattice had ever met wiho_ appeal very ! B&oiigib' to tthe romantic nature she possessed. Immediately die placed him on a pedestal, as a roan to be looked up to and reverenced. OhMd as m> •wias in many tlhimgs, love was not in h&e mind as yet. But soon, all! soon, e&e Wto to awaken OUt of !b»r sleep> and know tihe strongest, most eatoat limp; passions of the touman 'hearti 1 A lovely picture tihe made Whieft she dresse*! for dinner. '"She had chosem a soft, nknJy lace 'iSfresfe* 'ttoat covered, yet 'half 'revealed hw 'pretty,-rounded aoims : ahd "snow white throat. She wore no ornament. She tlhou#it it better taste not to do so, wflnen after •al s!he .was only a paid servant—a dev pendant of Lady TrevelWs—ia little higher than the servants but still earning her bread. But her glorious golden hair, (that she wore dressed high on her'head, a thick plait forming a coronet on her snow wihite brow, needed no ornament to set it off. As she gladcd down tihe crimson-car-peted corridor, a door opened oposite, and a somewHilat stooping figure appeared before her. He did not wear the usual evening dress of black cloth, and from the bottom of the hassock tang a tiny silver crucifix, tihe sipght of •-which was familiar to Lettice.

Not prepared for the apparition she started back, and some drops of ,hot wax fell from the candlo slhe was carTying oil to her shining white robe.

"Ah, permit mo no help you!" And j baforo she knew what he was doing Mr | Mark Jason was on his knees wiping a- J way the grease spats from her liaoo. > Uhevt ho rose and looked ait the beautiful giril, an odd expression in hds tawny, yellow eyes. ' "Miss Lascelles, I think you .have expressed a desire to see our chapel. There is just time to go there before dinner. Would you permit me to escort you tlhitiher?" 1 Lottioe would have given worlds to I refuse, but tihe words froze on her lips | and she dared not. ' Something warned her tihat it would mean danger to make an immediate enemy of this man, and her voice expressed no willingness as Glhe replied: "Khiank you very inuoh; but ought I not—should I not wait for permission from Sdr Eric or Lady Trevellan?"

A mocldng smite curled the chap- ; lain's thin lips. "I can assure you my permission is quite enough," lie said. "I am the chaplain hero, you understand. AH .tihat belongs to the oitapel is within my province. Oome. I should like to show you its beauties." Ttenk you ; I will go," wasLettice'e reply. 'Tills way then. There is a second ritaii-caso at tilie eaid of the corridbr, so there is no need to go out of our way." • Jason hurried Lettico along the up-

per floor, because he heard Sir Euc'a voice in the hall below. He pictured the young man waiting for tho pretty girl to deiscend the atairoase, and he smiled witih secret gleo to think of the look of disgust and disappointment .Li.it Sio Erie's face would wear when tiliis pretty girl should eventually enter tihe reception room with tihe caatle clM.ipiahi. A.s for. Let bice, slho thought that s>he had neved sen a house with so many passages and corridoirs and staircases. Jnst as she thought she had'reached the end, a fresh one presented itself. 'Wiiiat a ghostly castae," she said at last to her conductor. "Surely it must bo haunted. A ghost would have every c'Jianco of alarming tho occupants on a moonlight night."

'I hey were walking side - by side through tHie cloistered pasage that led from tine lower hall to the chapel. Suddenly Mark Jason turned and looked at her.

'There are otiher ghosts than tlhose of the spiritual form, Miss Lascolilos," he said, and Letitice thought that she detected a note of direct menace in his voice. "If you see anything—if you hear anything while you are under this roof, I .earnestly,advise you to keep Billen*'. Hush! not a word. I hardly meant to say so much—ibutr—but " He gazed steadily into the girl's eyes, as if to imply that their beauty had surprised him into speaking.

"I don't understand you,' said Lettice, sorely puzaled. Does a ghost reallily haunt.this castle, then?" Thinking tlhtat sllie was nervous, and her fears could be easily worked upon, tihe chaplain replied: ....

'' Ghost,' or ho ghost Miss LasceUes advice, keep -your \vin.dow j •shuttered at njght,-your joom looks over; the Lime".TreeOValk..; ..By da? iV is a-jpleasaht en»uglv.spot»\vb.ut";by t ni^htr—- Well, if.ybu ; value" your'" peace of mind, you'll remember my words."

Lattice was not the leastj»tjfrifihtemed and if the chaplain thought to play upon, her fears, he had not succeeded.. But she" was extremely curious, arid? she promptly laid away the abohad gained for; use a future occasion, when it might ptovey j useful. By this time they were in the | Jjttle chapel, a perfect geig in the jnat^! tor of awliitecfoal design and rich decorative skill. "Hftw beautiful!' cried Lettice impulsively. "It reminds me of the side diapel in the Madeline. But the Trevelkna are not-Romanists," are tihey, Mr Jason?"

'No; burt.they belong to the advanced sect," he replied. "See,-; heiJe is the font in which, toe Trovellans have for many gonenaJtaons been baptised. And here, in this'cJxest"-—he, touched an iron-bound box as he spoke —"is the book registering ail the marraages t'faftt ta.ke place m this chapel." . "illiiatvia. most m-torestingl' Was lattice's'observation, "fe it ever shown?"

"No, never I alone possess the key." '

'lt is all very beautiful and peaceful!" Lebtice gazed dreamily at the tiny alftiar, rich witti its golden vases and candlesticks, and the splendid bronze reredos in high relief. "But the air strikes ehffiy,' slho added. "Had we' not better be going back ?". Aa she spoke a : deep-toned gong was 'Bonmding 'in the distance. A smile passed, over the chaplain's' lips. His trial nxpili was' coming. He longed to see the look upon Sir Er'ic'k face when the young secretary appeared upder ! his escort. •.. -.---.■■

Meanwhile, in the large reception room an impatient man walked uo and down. He was extremely anxious to see once more the sweet-faced girl who luad so enthralled him on the journey down . Why did Miss Lascelles tarry so? The first bell 'had sounded and there was no response from her. And no»i- the gong's deep sonorous music was :ie,ird, and yet there came no sound of light feet tripping down the broad staircase. -,

"Where is your lady secretary, mother?" he asked of the dowager, who, resplendent in black velvet and diamonds, Bart, in her low-wheled chair, ready to be conveyed to the diningroom.

"Still 'dressing, I suppose. I must read her a lesson on punctuality,'/ replied Lady Treveilan, who bad not yet recovered from the fit of musing 'that she had indulged in earlier in the evening. "But, hark; I. hear voices . Gan she have been exploring the castle all this time?" ' Sir Eric's brows met in an ominous frown as the door was opened to admit Lettice, looking like some fairy prkcess in her p\iro white dress and shining golden hair, followed by Mark Jason. Sir Eric's frown became a scowl when he saw the saturnine leer of triumph on tihe chaplain's face. (To be Continued.)