My Lady's Sin.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 228, 24 September 1903, Page 6

My Lady's Sin.

Igß I ' 1 I I By the Author of " The Branded Foot," " Car-lie's Sae__fice, M j. V f. 5 ,'j --_____-- c___-i

CHAPTER XXITT. A HAUNTED CHAMBER. ' As those ominous words passed Dr. ! !Allingham's lips, airs. Allingham's step : came quickly along the corridor. At the same moment Airs. Jeffries joined Nina, ! Tr'ho bad paused for her in the doorway, j raid tho throe ladies entered the room ' together. .Almost at the same moment, Dr. Jeffries appeared. Dr. Allingham immediately left Nina,' •whom ho had just seated, and advanced to meet the old gentleman. "I trust," said, "my valet made himself intelligently useful to you, doctor.'' The doctor laughed. "A capital fellow, that valet of yours. my dear Allingham.'' lie cried, "and as useful r.s a. man can be. But to speak -the plain, unvarnished truth, 1 hato tho whole.-tribe! To please Mrs. Jeffries, I have had a score of them, off and on, but they I'll go the same road, and in ( about the Fame time. A week F ('he limit of my endurance. On the seventh I day the valet invariably found himself adrift with a month's wages, as conscience money, in his pocket." The doctor's chuckling laugh was still at its height when (he announcement of .upper called the party from the recep-tion-room to the attractive table which had keen spread for them. Dr. Allinghani presided at his table with the same courtier-like elegance | which had marked his welcome. Fat. despite her idolatrous pride in . him, Mrs. Allingham wag conscious of a growing anxiety. ' "Is he," she at last thought—"is he going to' commit the egregious folly of falling in love with her?—and at this] crisis? Fut no, no!" she said to herself the next moment. "I will not believe I it! With all his reckless courage he ■would never be so insane!" ITer unensy specula.lions were at once ended by Nina's voice addressing Dr. Jeffries. Taking advantage of a momentary lull in the easy 'low of conversation, the girl half reproachfully taxed him with his intention of sec-roily leaving ihe castle. Tbe doctor's utter consternation at the unexpected charge brought Airs. Allingham to his assistance. As she finished her explanation, 'he crier!, benrtilv: '•'Well, I'm glad you told her, Mrs. Allingham, and beg you to accept my thanks. T hated to deceive yen. my .on." —turning dapvecutingly to 2Cina—'■'aid yon nn:F never doubt f meant well. It was only ou» of my blunders, child." "A blunder," smiled Dr. AP.ingham, in bis slow, deep voice, ami with his eyes j cdmirinc'ly fastened on Nina's lovely] fnce. "which I never should have made, j Short as mv acquaintance is with Miss Beauchamp. I know I could trust her to j bear tho inevitable with a true womanly [ Nina looked up with a soft blush and ii word of thanks. Fut in a moment the faint damask had flamed to a crimson. which suffused her face from throat to forehead. In the gaze with which Dr. Allingham met her glance was an oppression there was no mistaking. Mrs. AIU'T-ham's keen, watchful eyes took in the whole. 'With a quick, abrupt movement, she pa yoU he signalto rise.^ «jp ; , j ins pone mad!" she said, angrily. to herself, in her fierce anxiety, "'and the girl, innocent as she is, aecs it! I'll get her out of the way early, and to-morrow I'll speak to him. Not to-night. He shad have to-night for reflection." With Mrs. Allingham to del ermine, was to act. But in this instan.ee she was favoured with a most willing coadjutor. Nina was only too glad to escape the courtly attentions of her handsome and fascinating host. '.Her fine intuitions had taken the alarm, and she was frightened and uneasy without knowing why. Dr. Allin_ham saw it, and with a silent curse at ids own folly, vainly endeavoured to place her at her ease again. But in spite of his delicate and well-directed efforts, yin-i. retired to her apartments conscious of a deep rep-ret that she had become Mrs. Allingham's guest. "Shall I leave Villi the Jeffries tomorrow morning?" she asked herself, as g ;h e tossed hour after hour on her sleepless couch. "But, then, how can I?" she asked again, in the very next breath. "An elderly chaperon is quite as indispensable as a maid, and their hasty return to London precludes the possibility of supplying myself before their departure. ' What, (hen, am I to do?-Can I go out into the world for an indefinite period with only Brigitta? No. Can T go back to my father's house and the. deadly machinations of my unscrupulous step-! mother? Never! Never! Never!" In her shuddering abhorrence of the idea, she started Tip in bed, vehemently Uttering lha negative aloud. As she did so, her ear caught a quirk, rustling sound at tbe other end of the -reat chamber. Startled, she turned her head in the direction. Tho fire, rendered necessary in all ihe rooms by the chill dampness of Ihe thick walls of the castle, still glowed in smoldcr'mfr remains uuon the hearth, aud cast a faint, -ick.lv light among the antique hangings and heavily carved furniture. Fy iis light she saw. dimly, close to the "tapestried walls, a tall, motionless form, wrapped in a winding sheet, ii.s ghastly face turned toward tier, and its 'burning eyes fastened, in a cold, deathlike stare, upon her own. She saw that, and saw no more. Tbe terrifying object, added to the fatigues of the clay and tbe anxieties of the night.,, proved too mi l eh*for her stveugth. Without a word or si; h she fell hack among her pillows iv a swoon.

When she Teeovered consciousness the gray light of early cbuvn -was creeping through ihc long, narrow windows, and j Bri_itta was soi'tly Stirling (he smolder- j ing lire to a blaze. She lay quiLo still, not even replying \ when the womau cautiously spoke her ■ name. i She wanted to be alone. She warded j time to reflect upon the mysterious ami terrifying event of the night, nrid time to make a careful examination of the. chamber. Erigitta. imagining her asleep, stoic j array as noiselessly as she had entered. I As soon as the morning was sufficiently advanced for her purpose. Fina arose, and. wailing only to don dressing-gown ;ind slippers! directed nil her energies to j her self-imposed (ask. ' As she vaguely anticipated, if proved | a fruitless one. There v.- : v=i r.o door hhind the lmnging?—nothing to e.-.plam the sudden ?r.ci my.f,:rio;;s presence which had so' alarmed her. A long range j of wall, the once elegant frescoing broken and discoloured by time, alone rewarded her patient search. The question whether ils entrance could have been made by one of the two doors was instantly answered in the negative. During the whole of her vigil the previous nigiit her eves had been wide op on. and the position of tho inn uvo bedstead wns such as to render it nbs.-dutcly impossible for any one to enter w'lhout her instant knowledge. That question decided. she gave her attention to the examination of the various articles of furniture. The result was the same-—nothing to unravel the mystery; no sliding door-. no movable panels. Faint and sic!;, she sat down in a great, old-time chair, luxuriously upholstered/and drawn close to the hearth. From that point her eye look in ihe; whole spacious length-and breadth ol the chamber. The six high, narrow windows, the: priceless tapestry hangings, the inlaid j floor, with its costly rugs, tun four large stationary mirrors. 1 he massive chest oi drawers, surmounted by an open cabinet vising to the vaulted ceiling, and furnished with glittering vases and cups ot gold, silver, ami bronze—these, with the 1 ■■T-T-ttr Imt no less costly ..'■'■ :i<-".s c r.-a i • i i,,j i, .-,. '. -'- -.; , • civil' prised in staiv.es, chairs, tamo*. *-m. o cabinets, and "luxurious couches, rnada tiie furnishing of that part ot' Ihe chamber devoted J o the uses of a houdrlr. Beyond this was an alcove, in which sfoocl the bedstead and toilet appurtenances. It ran the whole length of her chamber, and was partitioned with columns rising to tho eeiliri., and curtained with the same priceless adorned the walls. Nina viewed the apartment from end to end wiih the fond, appreciative eye of an ari' '. Gradually, under these healthful influences, and the rosy llocd of the advancing dawn, her mind drifted Irom mc thoughts of the ghostly visitant of the night to that of tho queenly mistress of tbe castle. '■'They arc comparatively poor. T her toll Sirs. delTrics," she mused, looking thoughtfully nround; "and yet there is a fortune in this chamber alone. She said they had paid their ilcMs, and retired with their household goods to the castle, the only home that was left irom the wreck. I suppose by 'poor' she meant it.F not always easy to command money. And who could blame her for cling- ng to such household goods as these? Xot I. I, too, would rather suffer than " At that instant a. sharp gust of wind from the open windows caught the tapestry hangings against the wall, rustling them with' the same sound that had siarlled. her in vim night. In a moment her mind (low back to the mysterious occurrence. "Who was it? What was if?" she sa"'l to herself, rising and going to the spot again. "1 do not believe in the supernatural, and yet how can I account " Once more, she was inteminled, thai time by the opening of one of the doors, or, rather, by the sound of Frigilla's voice; for the doer had opened so noiselessly that, she had failed to hear if. Her hand was still on the hangings, and her eyes still anxiously scanning the wall, when the maid addro.-scd her by name. Suppressing (he scream that nervously arose to her lips at the unexpected roice, she loosed her grasp and turned quickly about. "I beg your pardon, miss." began Ihe woman, in surprised, apoiogi ne tone. knocked, but as you did not answer, I concluded yon were still asleep, and as you wished to be waked early, ca— —■" She stopped with a startled exclamation. Nina had advanced from (be shadowinsr corner to flic full glare of (he morning light, showing- as she did. so, a face of such deadly pallor that Frigitta was half frightened. Awa.re that (he catastrophe of dcalli was not expected at this lime, she asked, quickly, anxiously: "Arc yon ill. Misa Bcuuehvmp'r I mean. are you less well than usual.'' Nina, hesitated, sat down. and. then, looking hastily up at Ihe woman, asked „ totally irrelevant question in rejoinder. "Is there,'-' she inquired, an involuntary shudder running through her frame as she recalled the dread apparition of the night—"is there any one about the castle not quite .settled in intellectV —au\ lone who would coTiccive 'i a line {.rank to secrete himself in this chamber for the purpose of " She hesitated, d. siring to express herself in the most careful terms, adding, (he next moment: "For the purpose of causing uiariv, ?" The fresh-colour in Lhigilta's round.. fair face paled noticeably. '•What do you mean, Ms-; Beauchamp?" she asked, faintly, a mingle.i surprise and dread in her voice. Struck by marks of agitation in lb ■ woman's air and tone, Nina answered plainly and to l he poial : "Some one was in my room Inst night, she said —"a tail man. with Mowing whii ■ hair and beard, and completely wrapped in a winding sheol." .She got no further. "Ob, great heavens!" gasped Brigitl i her voice scarcely audible, and her face as white as Iter own white cap. (To be continued daily.)