A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.
OUR SERIAI*.
By Mrs Ob Winter Baker, Author of "The Sin of Carine," "Sir Bedford's Protegee," "For Weal or Woe," etc.
CHAPTER IV—Continued. "How cold and cheerless it looks !" she whispered. "Not a light in /a smglo window. Oh, if we could only ge a clue to the mystery within those massive walls." "Come! come! cheer up little woman!" Sir ' Eric encouraged kindly. "Look, there ;is a Light in my mother s ti>rret chamber, at any rate. Anu don't you battier your pretty little head about .mysteries, dear heart! If there is one, what does it mutter, after all? I have you and you have me, and we oau flit •tiwiay togßtli&i like two happy bil'ds, leaving mystery behind as it we like, can't we?" Lett ice pressed his aim with grateful clasp as the dogcart drew up before the main entrance a few moments later. A groom sprang forward to the mare's head. But before .Sir Eric 'had time _ to jump out-, almost before "he had time to drop the reins the sinister figiure oii the castle chaplain came slinking 'down the flight of stone steps that came to the gravel drive. Straight .across to Sir Eric he came, and there was a note of veiled menace in his voice as he addressed the young man. "Her ladyship wishes to see you at or.ee, Sir Eric. I will look after Miss Lascelles if you wish to Uvurry in." CHAPTER XV. , JASON'S WARNING Sir Eric was not at all inclined to be hurried, least of ' all iby the man for whom he had nothing hut loathing and contempt. Scarcely throwing a glance at the chaplain, he leaped down from the dogcart and caone round to /help Lett-ice to alight. " (Lovingly lie pressed her dear form before setting her .down as lightly as a feather on itlie gravel drive; then h> getiter they walked slowly up the wide stone steps to the hall door, leaving, * -N&rk M'adwsband . ,ly. that they wished; to ignore Ins pres**. ..ence; ■ ■■ ; : a i ■j. Has small, close-set eyes were fixed ] greedily ou Lettipe's- back' as lie fol- i lowed them, and <hto frowned as .he no--ticed that Lattice's arm was thrust confidently into the arm of her stronger companion. I But he consoled 'himself with the thought of the interview that was m i store for the young man—an interview I that would assuredly surprise and pam ' ' hiim, for Lady Trevellan was indeed i : 1 going to surprise her. son. He rubbed vhis hands to think of it. The old lady ; could not help herself; she was bound iktc- <>!>ey orders. 'J' "|*Th6 young couple ahead of him now jbiseemed to Mnge>r in the doorway, so : he hurried on to where <tiiey stood, til' '. "Lady Trevellan awaits you in the til rret chamber, Sir Eric," he repeated : "She will not care to be kept waitir»g. n ■ : i ' 'There is no need for you to repeat your message, Jason," was Eric's quiet retort. 'My hearing is excellent, I am glad to say. And please don t let- me 7. detain you." . 4 'My orders were to escort you to •/ her ladyship's room the instant you £ came in," snapped Jason, smarting t \vith the quiet snub of Sir Ertps w/Aords. f"And my orders are that you r?.y move yourself from my presence watli- ? outidelay, Jason." Sir Eric was unV doubt-edly angry now. Lett-ice clung § ti<'hily to liis arm and held'mm -hack. "Go on," ( he repeated, "get aw*jr out , of .this.: Po; you hear? I will go. to firiv mother when it pleases me. f ' Once more Jason deemed it discreet -to retire. All lie wanted was to lie (};%;ure that Sir Eric did go to Lady Trevellan, and to this end he slunk to a I"dark end of the passage from where lie £ could .watch, the shadowy figures on >i>tt<iie doorstep. _ ~. Sir Eric now'turned to Lettuce wititt gesture. \\ # . "I don't know how it.is, dear, but the very sight of tihiat man makes me J lose my temper, and want to hit" out ' Mindly." ' ■ "Sh-h!'' • Lettice smiled and put her hand gently to her lips." 'Won't lose control of yourself, Eric dear. You will . need it all if we are to prevail over that man. Later on, when we have proibed his secret to the very bottom, then will be the time to show him what you think of him. Indeed, what I / think of him, too. Come now, run . along to your mother now, and see what she wants. She may want me, ' too, and when you have done I will " com up too." - It wias dark outside now, and not s even Mark Jason could see the kiss of encouragement she gave him liefore curling- him along to the turret eluamBut when they had mounted the staircase, Sir Eric to his mother s room, and Lettice to her own, the chaplain, crept out gingerly from his I hiding place behind a shell of knightly armour and went up after them. . He caught:up Lettice as she was " traversing the.east-wing corridor, and = called gently to 'her ..Lettice stopped and turned with. a. look of astonishment,for Jason's steps had been inaudible on the thick felt matting. She glanced nervously up and down, ■and was not a little alanmed to see there was no escape from the man she must stop and listen to him —even though there was something in, his voice that 'made her want to fly from him then and there. She recollected now, .with, fresh horror, that the east wing of Trevellan Castle was very rarely resorted to by membra of the houseliold—at least, Mrs Parfitt had said j so, and had expressed her surprise tha.t j Lady Trevellan should .have given such j
strange orders to have her secretary removed to this part of the house. "*■ So that poor Lettice could look to no welcome interruption from some passing servant. There was nothing' for it, indeed, but to put as bold a face as possible on the situation, and try •her hardest to show this man tihat she was not the least bit nervous. These throughts crossed her mind in a flasli. "Well?" she demanded, confronting the chaplain with determined attitude, despite tihe fact that slie felt iher" knees trembling beneath he; • "Forgive me for following you like this, Miss Lascelles," commenced Jas- ] on, with deprecating gesture—"but I I was most anxious to have a private j talk with you. Sq far I have been most unfortunate in my attempts to 'have a talk with you alone." ' ' What is it you wish to say, Mr Jason ? Please be as quick as you can. I a-m expecting a summons to Lady Trevellan's room at any moment." "I want to warn you, Miss Lascelles,' he said in a whisper -that seem.ed to send a cold chill to her heart. "Warn "*ie? Wlhat about?" she queried. 4 'About Sir Eric Trevellanu Yes, Miss Lascelles, listen to me. Believe me, I should not be talking to you like this if I did noit take the deepest interest in your since you' set foot in this castle, I have noticed that —-well, forjgivjß; me for being blunt —that yoti -been indifferent to Sir Eric's-^r-—engaging j personality. I want to want you be- ( fore it is too late. I want to warn you against going too far." "Really, Mr Jason, I must refuse to listen to you. lam sure I don't know why you wish to warn me, and I'm sure I don't care.", Lettice swung round on her heel imperiously, but before she could take a step in the direction' of her room 1 at the farther end of the corridor she felt her arm seized and held in a dawlike grip. V:-' ;■gOj.' still' spoke - ; oily' .jtones, -b\it. his hold on .the arm . was. not relaxed for one moment. LetI tice turned a wthdte, aiigi'y face to him j now. i "Please let my ar»n go, Mr Jason! i I wisih to proceed to my room." "Biit l wish you to stop mid listen to me, Miss J.ascelles. You shall listen to me! Do von hourr Sir Eric has asked you to! marry hi 10, libs lie not?" <•; ; : ...^ Lettice uttar&F a" little'.'cry of Surprise. How this man possibly know her secret ? Or was it merely guesswork on Jus paa't ? ; "I must refuse to answer your impertinent questions, And again I ask you tq let mo go." .. "Will you promise-to listen to what I'have to say if I release your arm?" (• "Why should I promise ? If you were a gentlemian you would never have held me back wihen you saw I wanted to go. Please drop my arm at once."
; Lettice now struggled desperately j to free herself from his vicious grip. | Tears came to her eyes when she saw I that her efforts were quite useless, j Mark Jason was certainly not going 1 to let his prey escape so easily now that lie 'had trapped -her so successfully. He caughtcher by both arms now, and', swung -brusquely round .-to faco ium. ' ( "Listen, Miss LaSeelles It's not a Kit oi .;*ise your struggling. I am j forced to take these rough measures in order, to make you hear miKat I Shave tp tell you. I asure you that it hurts "me to have to cause you pain, but I vi'ovild rather you suffer a little physical pain now than years of mental and moral anguish hereafter. Sir Eric Trevellan lhas asked you to marry him, but lie can never, never, marry you!" Lettice's shapely 'head was raised up with a jerk, her breath came and went in deep gasps, her nostrils were dilated, and her eyes had a curious shine, for the chaplain's words savoured unmistakably of mystery, and there was only one mystery—the mystery of® Tievel lan Castled • Was lie about to tell her something that would give 'her a clue? , yShoiild' she. encourage him to ..proceed, «ven , tihougii [his in/toleraible rudeness , liis absurd warning about her lover —aye,, his very presence—filled her with. a. sense of loathing, as of some unclean thing.
- "Why cannot Sir Erie marry me?" she asked quietly, though the effort to put tho question well-nigh, overwhelmed -her. But she fixed her mind resolutely on tho man she loved, and smn- i moiled up all her courage. Here was her opportunity of solving the mystery of Trevellan Castle. She must use it ever so cunningly. "Please let my arms go. lam ready to listen to you." i Mark Jason glanced keenly at the girl and released his grip. Her arms fell nervelessly to her sid. She repeated her question. "Why can Sir Eric never marry me, now?" "In the first place' Lady Trevellan will not hear of-it, Miss Lascelles/ 1 replied the .chaplain,. • V "Lady Trevellan appears to have favoured you with more confidence than she has her son, Mr Jason?" The softly uttered words found the mark. The chaplain seemed to shrink beneath them. Nervously lie twisted a button on his coat. "I see a grat deal more of her ladyship than Sir Eric does," he explained. "Naturally she confides much in one who is her spiritaul adviser." (Tcf[.b© Continued.) 1
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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10547, 1 February 1912, Page 2
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1,876A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10547, 1 February 1912, Page 2
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