CHAPTER XI. AN ARRIVAL—A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 125, 24 October 1885, Page 6

CHAPTER XI. AN ARRIVAL— A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN.

As the doors swung apart under the porter's hurried hand, a young man stepped in. lie waB short, slender, and agile j his skin fair and slightly freckled ; his hair a dull, reddish flaxen ; his eyes small and restless, and in colour a light grey. His face was smooth, save a weakly moustache that failed to hide a mouth rather too large, but filled with an excellent set of teeth. The young man was Antony Folger. "The earl?— he is, of course, within?" he asked, in quick, ringing tones, and then, without waiting for a reply, hastily passed the man. In the subdued evening light, he had all at once recognised Lillis. "Ab, Miss Melross!" he exclaimed, doffing his hat, and speaking with delighted earnestness, as he advanced. " I fear9d I should not have the pleasure of meeting you to-night, after the crowning fatigues and excitement of the day. How are you? Ah, I see for myself. The fatigue and excitement have told upon you. lam sorry. ' Lillis gave him a hand a little tremulous from her own recent fears, and answered, in a voice not quite even. "But," she added, quickly, anxious to be rid of him and escape to her room, ; " you wish to see the earl. I—" At that moment the library door opened, and "the earl " looked out. "Tonyl" he cried, "I thought it was your voice, but concluded it could hardly be. Come in." " As I was not due till to-morrow," said Tony, interpolating the fact present to his friend's mind. He bowed to Lillis and moved on, hi response to the invitation, while the girl pursued her way to the stairway. Hood's gaze followed her anxiously. After a moment he called, in gentle, quiet tones, advancing a few steps aa he spoke : . . *. » ••You will be able to join us atthe supportable, Lillis ?" „,|| U 1 "Ob,yes," answered the girl,looking back. "Certainly." * , . , . hood smiled pleasantly, and turned to his gueet. . , , . " Why," he frowned, m lowered tones, as they walked on to the library—" why do you' come to-night?" " To tell you the news—to tell you Lrater, the detective, is on the assassin's track. As he spoke he pushed to the door, ana Hood reeled back against the wall.

The question escaped Lillis's ear j but Tony's quiok, ringing voice, in reply, readied her distinctly. "Oh," she thought, shudderingly, "he will be hung ! Thank Heaven, it is not the earl!" J , . She hurried through the darkening gallery and into her bedroom. It waB oheerful with a great pine-knot fire, and her own favourite ohair Btood ready for her use on the rug. Midway across the chamber, she was addressed by a voioe from the bath-room door. She turned. A servant stood there with an armful of soiled towels. The girl looked at her without reply, breathing quickly to herself. "That woman !" The woman looked in return, and after a momont,repeated her question, saying, in a strange, hoarse/rasping voice : •♦I asked, Mias, shall I light up? It's clouding heavy for a storm, an grows darker in this north room." " No ; oh, no," answered Lillis, somewhat precipitately. " I like the twilight gloom. But," arresting the woman in the act of retiring, " are you to fulfil the duties here permanently ? "\es, Miss, as long as the earl stays. I'm one of the new set, Miss ; an' them as come from Lunon fur the funeral hey gone back. So there's nobody left to do here but me." "And I don't like the 'new set," thought Lillis, gazing at the tall and not ungraceful figure in the doorway. " I'm a good seamstress and waiting-maid, i too," pursued the woman. " I hope I'll be able to give satisfaction." She looked at Lillis with open, questioning anxiety. Instead of replying, Lillis said, abruptly : " I have noticed you several times in the hallways. What is your name V ! "Rebecca Hough, Mias. It was very kind of you to notice me, Miss." "You are not a person to pass unnoticed," returned Lillis, with a slight gesture of dismissal. In a moment the woman's singularly tawny skin became livid. She gave no heed to the silent command. She stood perfectly, breathlessly still. L'llis, moving again toward the easychair on the rug, did not see the change ; supposed, indeed, that she had gone. Rebecca's voice, speaking in the lowest, strangest tone, startled her to a knowledge of her mistake. She turned hastily. "I don't understand, Mise, said the woman. " I beg pardon, Miss, but what do you mean ? W u st is there wrong about me?" . J "Wrong! ' echoed Lillis, surprised. The next instant,-, magining she had wounded the woman's feelings, she said, gently, all the tender sweetness of her nature striking through the words : " Nothing, Rebecca. You are only a remarkable looking woman, with your dark eyes. If I hurt you, be assured I did not mean to do so." "Thank you! thank you, Mias!" returned Rebecca, in hurried, muffled accents. The thanks spoken, she precipitately shut the door. Safe without, she pressed her hand over her eyes.drew two or three gasping breaths, and then .muttering a few indistinct words, dropped her hand and moved slowly away. Lillis, too heavily weighted by her own griefs to admit of moro than a passing curiosity about the new tendant, forgot her with the closing of the door. But the woman's return had changed her purpose a little. Instead of going to the hearth, she turned and went to one of the windows. For a few moments shestood the-^e looking at the scurrying clouds and fast darkening landscape. . The gloom without only increased her Two big tears gathere.l and rolled slowly over her cheeks She brushed them off and turned away. In doing so, her eye fell upon her Bible lying in its usual place, upon a little table slanding"at the corner of the window. She took it up. " Here I may learn patience and tiust, she faltered. . She opened it, and was seating herself in the low rocker close by, when a slip of paper fluttered from between the leaves to the floor. Excessively neat in all her habits, it was an instinctive act to throw it into the fire. In the act she suddenly paused. Five startling words stared her in the face, arresting her hand and breath at the same time. , _ She looked at them, wide-eyed and motionless. She read and re-read them^ All at once a slow, frightened ejaculation crossed her lips. " That woman!*' she cried.