"A SECRET SORROW."

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8601, 4 March 1897, Page 1

"A SECRET SORROW."

BY MRS MAY AGNES FLEMING.

Author of " A Mid Marriage," " Carried By Storm*

CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) _ Before she could rise, two hands, icycold, were placed over her mouth, while a long, shrill, peculiar whistle sounded behind her, waking a thousand dismal echoes through the dreary rooms,

Stupefied with horror. Kate was unable to either move or utter the least sound, while, as the echoes died away, all became again profoundly still, the two icy-cold hands still holding her fast.

Gradually part of the floor beside her seemed moving away, and Kate soon saw that she had tripped over the ring of a trapdoor.

The door was raised from below; and still immovable with terror, she beheld a man standing on the steps, holding a lantern in his hand, which he raised aloft to penetrate the darkness.

Kate thought she had never beheld so brutal looking a face —half buried in huge, black, bushy whiskers; and a deadly feeling of sickness came over her as she thought into what hands she might fall. She lifted her head and gazed at her captor, who was younger and not so ferocious-looking as the other; but there was an evil light in his eyes, and a fierce, sinister, expression in his countenance, that made her shrink from him with a feeling of loathing. Her presentiment cf danger was fulfilled. The old Moor Manor was, then, inhabited. Into whose hands had she fallen ? Did her uncle know the fiercelooking men were here ?'

With lightning-like rapidity these thoughts flashed through Kate's mind, and with these came back the lofty fortitude that had deserted her.

Now she was certain she had fallen into the hands oi villians, her fearless nature was again calm. She would have risen, but her captor held her fast • Hallo, Simon! who's this f said the man on the stairs, fixing his evil eyes on Kate.

'Aprisoner I've captured Come, get out o' that, and let us down. Here, my pretty wench, will you walk, or shall we carry you downstairs ?' said the gruff voice of her captor. ' I will walk! said Kate, shrinking from his outstetched hand with a shudder of disgust. ' All right; that'll save trouble. I like to see a woman have pluck. Down with you!' said the man, with an insolent leer that made Kate's eyes flash fiercely, though she did not reply. Knowing that resistance would be madness, and that it was in vain to call for help, Kate compressed her lips firmly, and turned to descend the stair?. Her captor followed her, drawing the trapdoor after him, while the other still preceded them with the light. They then passed through several gloomy* vaulted rooms, from the heavy, earthy smell of which Kate concluded she was underground

The wet, slimy, green walls were dripping with moisture—while horrible vermin, with which old houses are infested, went crawliDg over the floor in all directions, scared away by the light. Kate shuddered with honor as she gazed around ; and shrieked aloud, as a bat—that evil thing of night—flew by, flapping its wings in her face. ' Curse the bats!' said the man called Simon, in a tone so fierce that Kate trembled and hurried on faster after her guide. At length the vaulted passages were left behind, they again passed down a few steps, and entered what might once have been a dungeon, when the noise and uproar of a carousal fell upon the ears of the terrified Kate.

The guide advanced, and openiug a door at the farther end, a blaze of light for a moment nearly blinded her — being so long accustomed to darkness —while the sounds of jingling glasses, oaths, songs, aud bursts of hoarse laughter, mingled together in wild uproar.

Kate drew back sick with horror, as she beheld the fearful den she had entered ; but the man Simon gave her little time to hesitate.

Seizing her roughly by the arm, he forced her forward until she entered the room where the carousal was at its height. As the eyes of the men fell on her, every voice was hushed in surprise; and all turned to Simon, as if seeking an explanation. Kate raised her head, and ventured to glance around. The room was like all others in the old manor—high and lofty, with stone walls ; floor, and ceiling. A huge fire glowed and roared in an enormous fireplace, and rendered everything around as clear as at noonday. Rough slab benches were ranged around the walls, and formed its only articles of furniture. A long table extending from one end of the room to the other, stood in the middle of the floor, covered with bottles, glasses, jars, aud steaming pitchers of hot water. Around this were seated nearly thirty men —a fierce, dark, bloodthirsty lookingcrew—from whose nautical air Kate at once knew them to be sailors. '

All were armed with pistols and daggers stuck in their belts ; and oh ! the feeling of sickening terror that made Kate stagger,against the wall as the dreadful conviction that she had fallen into a den of smugglers forced itself on her mind. At the head of the board stood an elevated seat, empty now, but which seemed evidently designed for someone of higher rank than tlie others The mau Simon cast his eyes towards this, then turning to the others, demanded—

' Where's the captain ?'

' Syra came for him a few moments ago/ answered a youug mau, somewhat lesssavage-lookiugthanhiscoinpanions. 1 Shall I go after him?' *' ' No, you ueedu't trouble. Hand me the jar—l'm dying o' thirst. Here's to your good health, my dear,' said the man, with another insolent leer towards his prisoner. Kate's cheeks crimsoned, and her eyes flashed fiercely as she drew herself up, and stood looking with lofty scorn on the savage looking revellers. 'By George, she's a rum 'un !' said one of the men, with a hoarse laugh. ' Say, my dear, won't you taste this ?' And he held out towards her a brim- j tning goblet of brandy. 4 Where did you get her, Simon?' enquired half a dozen voices at once, ' Here, Bill, the jug's empty—fill it aj.-aiu ' said Simon, without paying any attention to his interrogators, and

! handing the empty jug acrossthe table. ' Go on with your singing, Jack,' he added,turning to another. 'I'll tell you all about it when the captain comes.'

The man addressed sang a noisy ditty, which was loudly applauded. ' What now, my men? You seem more than usually boisterous this evening, called a clear, commanding voice at j this moment, as a young man suddenly made his appearance among them, and took the vacant seat at the head of the table.

' Hurrah for Captain Raymond! Long hve our chief!' shouted the men, as with one voice, maddened by excitement.

' rhauk you, my lads. " Free as air!' shall ever be our motto—the broad ocean our home—our good swords our law ; with no master but strong wine, and no mistress but our gallant bark,' answered the young rover chief, with a kindhug eye. There was something in his tone that bespoke him different from the rest—a certain air or refinement and cultivation, mingled with a lofty consciousness of command and superiority. Kate, whom the smugglers seemed to have almost forgotten, lifted up her head, and surveyed him earnestly. In person he was tall, slight, and perfectly symmetrical—with an -air of easy grace and dignity that a stamped him far above his calling. His countenance, bronzed slightly by exposure to wind and sun, was strikingly handsome, and when he smiled, there was a winning sweetness in his look that impressed Kate deeply. His fore* head—high, broad, and very whiteshowed how fair his natural complexion was ; while his fair hair clustered in short, crisp curls around it But to Kate the chief attraction was his eyes . —large, and 'darkly, beautifully blue — that everwanderedaround,with a keen, quick, restless glance. His air of cjuiet superiority showed how perfect his command over his men. was, togetherwith the innateconsciousness of being their superior. Kate did not wonder how he—the youngest, apparently of that band— could have become its commander. It was merely the triumph of mind over matter—the triumph of education and refinement over their animal natures. Kate thought, as she gazed, she had never beheld a more perfect specimen of maily beauty, Handsome, indeed, he was, with " man's best beauty;' but could one who looked to be so perfect a gentleman—one of nature's own princes—be the dreaded smuggler chief of whom she had heard such fearful stories /—whom she had heard represented as a demon in human form ? Could this be the daring, fearless Captain Raymond? ' Suddenly kis eye fell upon Kate, who seemed in a fair way of being forgotten by the whole party, and he arose to his feet, with a look of utter amazement.

His men followed the direction of his eye, and unanimously exclaimed— ' Come Simon, you've to tell uaJiow you got the girl. Quick, out with it, man.'

' How came this woman here V demanded the young captain, turning his eyes from one to the other, iv complete astonishment.

' Simon Crow brought her here. Tell us how you got her, Simon,' chorused several of the party. Captain Raymond turned his eyes inquiriugly on Simon. ' Well, you see, captain,' began the man, ' I was going around up aloft, watching our new lodgers, you know, when I hears all of a sudden, a great buzz, and a minute after, the door was hauled open, and this wench here was launched clean into the room where I wap. I kept dark, thinking she'd stay quietly where she was, but, instead of that, she starts on a voyage—to see where she'd come out I suppose. I followed her as softly as possible, but at last she heard me, and hoisting all sail, she scud before the wind, but her foot caught on the trapdoor, aud she came down on her beam-end. I tackled on to her, and whistled for Jack, and we brought her here ; so that's all about it.'

(To be Continued.)