A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10566, 23 February 1912, Page 2

A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

OUR SERIAL.

By Mrs Ob Winter Baker, Author of "Th* Sin of Carina," "Sir Handford'. Protegee," "For Weal or Woo," etc.

CHAPTKR XXlX—Continued

In a fever of anxiety Erie paced up and ((own the corridor, awaiting | the result of the doctor's diagnosis. His gatitudc know no hounds when presently he learned that she had re-e-.ioude-fto restoratives and had sunk into a dee-) slceo. Once Ccle took the doctor aside and pressed him to say nothing, hut to continue to visit the castle twice daily. '['■ hen ho sought out Erie and together the t.vo me:i discussed the situation. At. iir.-t Uric was almost too amazed at'the turn events had taken to saying. hrtticc was alive —would recover with va refill nursing. That was all he could think of. But when Cole .mentioned the names of Omer and Jason he frowned angrily. ''Unfortunately we can do nothing till Miss Law-el les is able to lay a charge against them," Cole observed. "But meanwhile we must not let them out of our .'--igh't. I think you had better go to your mother and tell her of our discovery. Tell her to keep 0 mer in the castle until wo look after Jason.. Our troubles are not cleared up yet, I am afraid." "No; and they won't he till these ■two scoundrels have paid the fullest penalty!" added Eric, with angry emphasis. "I'll go up to mother, and. .tell her to send for Omer at once." He was about to move off when Cole motioned to hmi to stop. "Look here, old man. I have been keeping something back from you, because I didn't want to v> vry you with too much mystery. You remember that room you tried to enter down below — when I told you to leave it r.louc and come on ?''

Eik. nodded, rather puzzled. "Well, in that room is our friend of tho Lime Tree Walk —the mysterious "Margaret." I found, her there all alone, just before you camo Jo-.vi to me." •' ■,.•■:■ ~

"Why the place miisiJjo, u regular warren down there, Norjßian. No wonder Mrs Piairfitt- talked of a separate establishment! Who on earth is this girl—what is she doing there—how long has she been there?"

"iHold hard —one question at a time. The girl is evidently kept there by 0mor and Jason. I saw a photo of 0mer in the room. How long she has been thero goodness only knows." "We .must find. Omer at once, then —and make her produce this girl," excliaimcd Eric. "I'll go up to ny another while you hunt for Jason. We must get to the bottom of this business."

WrJiout further ado I o bounded from the room. First of all he made his way to tho door of Lattice's bedroom and knocked gently. Mrs l'ar-/i-fcrfc appeared in answer to his summons Vat d iold him that the patient was still sleeping soundly. Then he made his way to the turret e!iav.ibe:\

| • As lie approached tho loom he heard L,scunds of an angry altercation going bon within. Bursting open the oor be • found Omer trying to force the dowager to drink from a glass of milk. : She started back and put it down as Eric entered.

"Eric, my son!" cried the old lady, "she's trying to fuddle my brain again with some horrid medicine- Don't let her do it."

With angry mien Erie strode across to the frightened attendant and stood over her.

"Omer,' ho said. "Your villainy is unmasked. You and Jason will be arrested as soon as Miss Lascelles can lay a charge against you for cruelty and illegal restraint. Have you any explanation to offer?" Despite her thorough fright, Omer still tried to play her old game of bluff. She drew herself up and snacred unrestrainedly.

"Oh, .so your precious detective has found her; I was just asking her ladyship if she was aware that you had asked i spy to come down in the guise, of a friend."

"We will leave my friend out of the discussion, if you please. He has been of the utmost service to me in exposing you and J a ton for the villains that you are;' I have uw>' dowii into your underground osbblkhnU'tir, ■■*»s Mf Lascelles—thank Oo(t—has been safely rescued from your clutches. She will lay ; a charge against you as soon as she is well enough to do so. lam hero now to ask you the reason for this infamous bit of cruelty to one who has never done you the slightest harm. Why did you forge a letter to me from her? Was it you that sent a telegram to nie caving that she had started for Paris, when you knew all the time that she was imprisoned in that foul dungeon." -'•'l refuse to answer any questions. You have threatened mo with the police. Very well, I will make my statement at the proper time." Her sneer had changed to a look of . bitter enmity. Her close-set eyes .roamed restlessly from the dowager to Eric and back again. "I'll tell you the whole story, Writ-." The voice came softly, faintly from the depths of the chair, and her son started round.

"Go on, then!' ho said coldly. "Letlice was imprisoned by Omer and Jason because they wanted her mono v. Jason wanted to forco her to marrv him. I knew this from the first—as soon as I saw that farewell letter. I knew Lettico had never written it. I dared not tell you. This human fiend said that she would be left to starve to death if I said a word to you. For nearly twenty years Jaston and this woman have blackmailed me —have bled me—have squeezed me dry

as a bouc. For your sake —to spare you pain—l have suffered in silence, my son. Now tho truth must out. I feel I am sinking—sinking!" "Of late years I. have seen that there wou.'d bo little or no money to leave you when I died, my boy. I knew of Miss Lascclles and the fortune she'd inherit, and I brought you together, hoping that you would fall in love with her and marry her. Jason saw through my scheme, and wanted Lettico for himself. When I demurred ho threatened me with exposure —exposure of the old —old secret. I was weak. 1 wanted to tell you everything, but I hadn't the strength. A secret that has been kept for nearly twenty years is not easily divulged, deaf. Now —thank Gcd —Lettico is safe and you will marry her. I have w ; a.nted you to many her all along. Oh, if you only knew how my poor old heart ached when you came to me. If you only knew how \xox\v cruel words cut me to the quick! And yet you were, not to blame —yon did not know." Lady Trevellan paused to wipe the tears from her sunken eyes. ' 'Secret—blackmail ?'' Eric stopped in utter amazement.

"It is not blackmail!" Omer'® defiant words now broke in. "You shall hear my story now. You' have listened to your mother's words. Woll I am a mother, too, and my lore for my child is no less strong. Eighteen years ago I came here with a little baby m my arms and certain, letters. I six \'-ed the letters and the child to I..idy Tiovcilan and she offered to buy my silence. Remember that, please—effered to buy it. Blackmail was. never suggested. The child was hidden, and II oca me her ladyship's a t tend ■> nt. At her suggestion again I brought Mark Jason here as chaplain to th-J castle. It is true that her ladyship has paid for oiii science —perhaps you, Sir Erie, will be glad to do the same wiien you loai-i the truth."

"Please dQ.;.iiot bandy word? Go on !.' Eric was himself o.ier more. .....""Very well,...listen;., ine child wis calie .1 M: i garet ■'" Ah! yui s>thft.' Mu»:■• gaiet is still here in the castle. Terlv.ip.s v"U and -our detec'ave inend have found her." I ahl Maigaret's"mother!"

"I don't see how this affects mo or n.v mtli'T What are these letters you speak of? Why did my mother buv vonr silence?" ) "I have said that I am Margaret -s mother, but I have not yet told you who her father was." The inflection in Omer's voice alarmed Eric. He now detected a note of malignant triumph in her words. "Who was her father ?'' ho asked. «X 0 — n<) —no! Don't tell him. 1 can't bear it." Lady Trevellan cried aloud in her agony. Remorselessly Omer ignored tho interruption. Her narrow eyes never left Erie's white, strained face. • "Margaret's father was—the hue Sir Thomas Trevellan!'-' she announced in low, malicious accents. "Does it please vou, Sir Eric? Aro you quito sure tliat vou will have the police m now to have this nice little family scandal raked up? Are yot quite prepared to have your London friends gossiping about you with eager tongues i •Eik: was as pale as death. .< "Is this true?' he stammer'.!,! to Ins ■mother, and read her answer in tho bowed head and bent, wither M irr.mo rc» king to and fro in silent agony. _ "Perhaps you would, liko to see Sir Thomas's letters," said Omer scornfully and stalked from the room. Erie «Ynk i-.to a chair and run-cd his I-.wk. in h:.s hands. This indehb'o blot on the '! teveilan escutcheon was a IciTiWo thing to the young man—the prowl scion of one of the oldest Cornish families. He realised that, if Omer's story were true, he could never lift his head a<rain; for the Trevellan honour was tarnished; tho sin of the father had descended to tho son. r

CHAPTER XL,

TWO DEPARTURES

It did not take Cole very long tc como to the conclusion that Jason hac given him tho slip and escaped from While Erie was upstairs in his mother's room the amateur detective spent a busv time. Having laded to find J.v sou ill the castle, ho nvade inquiry outside, and learned from the stable.; k!d in charge that Jason had been sect going down the drive carrying a bau earlv in the afternoon. SiWressing his disappointment, Ik now returned to the underground regions and endeavoured to learn mow of Margaret's history. • . Ho found the. white-faced girl jusl as he had left her; she had made n< attempt to escape from the room although he had purposely rcfrainoc from bolting the door again. I Jut i was almost impossible to get anytlunj out of her bar that Grace Omer wa: her mother, and Jason her uncle. Sin had lived in the room she now occu pied as long as sho could remember Did she never get out into the fresl air 9 Yes—after dark—sometimes to long walks, sometimes only up am down tho Lime Tree Walk. (To be Continued.)