THE SECRET CHAMBER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5409, 24 December 1888, Page 4

THE SECRET CHAMBER.

CHAPTER VIII. THE HOBBOES OF THK SKCRET CHAMBER. Sir Hugh replied to the letter of Hoover and Co., assuring them that an agent ulothed with full powers to settle tho estate of tho deoeased Mr Winston would bo sent over to Amsterdam in a short time, and expressed the hope that the lawyers would have everything arranged for the speedy trnnsfer of the property to his possession. The change in his son's prospects had a beneficial effect upon his own health, and he found himself rapidly recovering his powers of locomotion. This was especially agreeable to him, as Vernor every day enquired when he would bu able, to conduct him to the Secret Chamber, for tho young man still pertinaciously dwelt on his desire to explore its mysteries. Sir Hugh vainly endeavored to evade the promise he had made, for he shrank with nervous dread from tho thought of entering the placo with which so manj r dark memories were connected. But Vernor would listen to no excuses, and he declared that on the fulfilment of his father's pledge rested his acceptance of Ethel as his future wife. If Sir Hugh forfeited his word, ho would also retract, and seek his fortune in his own way. After all, he would probably do better for himself than to givo his freedom in exchange for the wealth it would purchase. Ho did not really care for tho child, and he hut played a part toward her to please his father. Thus goaded on, Sir Hugh nerved himself to tho task of entering tho vaults beneath tho old building alone at a lato hour of the night. He provided himself with a dark lantern, and selected several keys from an old bunch that had lain for years unused in a closet in his room.

By opening doors which had long been closed, he could descend to the vault, and ho preferred this to skirting the park to the outlet through which the gipsy had penetrated to tho place. When the household was buried in sleop, Sir Hugh lit his lantern, and crossing a narrow room which dividod hia own apartment from tho colls once occupied by the monks, he fitted tho rusty key in tho lock, and with much effort, succeeded in turning it. At length the door opened, and a damp mouldy scent greeted him from the badly ventilated corridor.

Ho stepped in, walked rapidly forward, and gained the door at the further extremity of tho corridor. This opened into the chapel, a gothic temple of considerable size, which was falling into decay. Sir Hugh strode past the altar to the crumbling remains of a, reading desk, and placing his lantern upon tho floor, kneeled down to examino the flagging beneath. Ho drew out a dagger, and scraped uway the accumulated dust around a smooth, square stone, and then, pressing hard upon the edge, it slowly nrote, and revealed a flight of steps, which seemed to have been rudely cut from tho solid rock.

Carefully guarding his light, tho baronet forced his burly form through this aperture, and, propping back the trap-door, descended into tho labyrinth of vault-, below. A person unacquainted with the locality must, soon have become hopelessly lost in their windings, for tho subterraneau apartments extended beneath tho whole of the building, aud wero arranged with bewildering disregard to architectural rubs.

But Sir Hugh was familiar with every foot of the route ho must traverse, and he strode forward without pausing to note the dreary echo of his steps as they reverberated through tho desolate waste ho was traversing. Ho at length stopped in front of a damp, mouldy-looking wall, and turning his light upon it, saw that the entrance ho nought was already open. It was an oblong block of stone, much larger than tho one hu had recently lifted, which had been sprun* back and left resting upon the cunningly concealed hinges. With an oath, Sir Hugh muttered that tho gipsy hud been there to open the way for him, and, without hesitating, bo thrust his lantern in tho vuult, uud then followed it himself. Ho straightened himself, and looked around with a shudder, for ho recalled tho moment when a vorpsu-liko form had been borne through that aperture, and taken by him and hia accomplice to tho living death that awaited her.

The room was about twenty feet square, and nothing was seen in it but a flight of steps, wluch wound upward to a trap-door iv tliH floor above. Sir Hugh recovered himself, and drawing a deou breath, approached tho stairs. Slowly and reluctantly ho mounted them, for as ho drew near the bourne of his pilgrimage even his cold, hard heart failed him.

" It was too bad of Vernor to exact this from me," he muttered, as he stood with his arm lifted to touch the spring which •would opeu the way above him, " My heart fails me ut the thought of what I may find there."

At that moment his knees tottered, his face blanched, and his hair was glued to his temples by the cold dew that arose upon them, for he heard tlio muftled sound of a death chant coming from the scaled upartment above. He aat down on the steps, breathless and appalled ; the dirge swelled louder, and he despairingly asked : "Oh, Arabella, has your outraged spirit been permitted to return to chant your own requiem in the ears of him who slowly murdered you 't Yet 1 must go on; I can never go back without fathoming this mystery." With sudden desperation he lifted his arm, thrust back the door above his head, and a dazzling flash of light streamed upon him from tho apartment he had expected to find as silent and dark as the grave it had become. .Sir Hugh was no coward, neither was he superstitious, and after the firi-t moment of stunning surprise he gathered courage to lift himself through tho aperture and look upon the strange scene tlio room presented. It was brilliantly illuminated, and tho light fell open walls draped with faded damask, on rich, old-fashioned furniture covered with tlie same material. But what fascinated the eye of the visitor was anicho in the wall from which the hangings were drawn back, exposing a heavy stone sarcophagus, before which a kind of altar had been made by a table that was drawn in front of it, on which the ciindles that lighted tho apartment wero placed. A small square of velvet was thrown over the coffin, on which was embroidered : AiiAJiJOLA Vkknob—Lady Mktiiuen— Aued '__;s. Tlio chant still continued, though no one was visible, and Sir Hugh glared upon the heavy satin hangings of the bed. which wero closely drawn, and hoarsely said : " Come forth, Minchen, for to you I owe this shameful mockery. You are concealed behind those curtains, wailing your cursed death song. Come forth I say." At this peremptory command the gipsy put aside the heavy folds of silk that sheltered her, and stepped out into the light. She wus dressed in white, aud wore a wreath of scarlet flowers twined around her gray locks. The dress was also embroidered with gay colors, and its youthfulness contrasted in a jrhastly manner with her worn and faded appearance. She made him a mocking reverence, and said ; "Yes, Hugh Methurn, lam here, celebrating tlie obsequies of your wife iv the festive dress iv which you first saw and loved me."

" Woman, how did you know that I would come hither, aud why have you prepared this scene to greet mo _'" " Because it chimes with my humor, Sir Hugh ; and I divined that you must t.omu hither to prepare the room for the inspection of tho young heir. 1 made my preparations, and I have awaited you every night sincu I learned that your health was mending. Oh! it was bravo to watch beside that stone sarcophugus in which my rival lies, and know that she can never again atep forth to the light of day : though it was little of that she saw for months before her death.'"

"Then she is really thrre'e" said Sir Hugh, pointing to tho coflin, with v cold dew bursting from his brow. " I feared as much: but this niche can bo closed up. Tlie hangings can be made to conceal it, for Vernor must know nothing of the tragedy they conceal.'' "Of courso she is there, Sir Hugh, for how could I have removed her without assistance V an(l you refused to come hither after her death. It was lucky that the penitent's couch had been left by tho old monks; it made a capital mausoleum tor tho Lady of Methurn ; aud ..he withered away to such an anatomy, through fretting for her freedom, that I lifted her into it, as easily as I would a child, after tho breath left her body." " And sho bus lain there for fifteen years unheeded—-might have lain thero through all time—but for tha words which aroused the curiosity of my w.n. The secret of the chamber might have died with mo hut for that. Now, Vernor insists on knowing it, and I have no alternative, but to show him the entrance. But, after all, it may be useful to bi.it in the future."

" In tho same way, Sir Hutrh;-" asked the gipsy, significantly. The bnronct started, and be ipiiekly asked ' " What do you mean 'r " •• Only that, as you married a. woman for her fortune, uud put Iter away to tret possession of it. your son may fi-llow in your footsteps." " He will i.ot_do that, for he will have no devil to tempt him to the wickedness 3. you did jue," he fiercely replied.

" He will be sure to find one," retorted the woman. " ' Like father, like son, says the old proverb, and your sou is as hard and unscrupulous as you were in your youthnay, as you now are. Of late I lnivc seen him'dancing attendance on tho little girl who seems suddenly to have become an object of importance to him and to you. I have heard of the presents heaped on her, and I know that you do nothing without a motive. Is the child already Lady Clifton, Sir Hugh ?" ',' No, nor evor likely to be, as far as I know ; but I Jo not choose to be called to uccount by you. Assist me to removo from this room every evidence of my wife's stay iv it, and then let us part for ever.'' " They aro already removed, Methurn, I performed that service for you before you came, for I knew thpt would be your object in coming hither. But we are strangely neglecting the funeral rites ; the relics havo long waited for them ; but it is never too late to perform a duty." She darted behind the bed curtaius, and asrain appeared, wrapped in a black cloak ■wliieh covered her person to her feet, aud her gray hair, from which she had removed the scarlet wreath, floated in silvery masses upon her shoulders. "It's as good as a masquerade," sho lightly said, as she again stood before him. " Eh, my dear Baronet, how do I sustain tho character of chief mourner at my lady's funeral?"

There was a mingling of tbo grotesque ami the horrible in the suene that made oven Sir Hugh's iron nature quail, and bo sank down upou a chair which, hud been drawn in front of the table. •' That ie the very seat I prepared for you," said the gipsy, "and hero is the prayer book. You enn read the service, and* I will make the responses. It will bo nothing like the gorgeous burial that filled the parish church with mourners on that other day ; but this will bo real, and tho other was only a sham. Who but you and I knew that the coffin they ontoinbod with so much state was filled with stonoN, and the livintr Lady Methurn was incarcerated in this chamber ? Ho !ho ! Sir Hugh, you got the money, but I got what was better to me—revengo—revenue upon my rival." I TO HE CONTINUED. |