The Lost Lady of LoneSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
The Lost Lady of Lone
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
Fiction
"Has Miss Levison seen the morning papers?" he inquired, as soon as the
usual greetings were over.
"No, they have not yet come," answered her ladyship.
"Thank Heaven! Do not let her see them on any account! I would not have
her shocked. The truth is," he added, in explanation of his words to the
wondering dowager, "I have important news to tell you. The mysterious
vailed woman, supposed to be connected with the robbery and murder at
Lone Castle, has been found and arrested. The stolen property has been
discovered in her possession. And she--you will be infinitely
shocked--she proves to be Rose Cameron, the daughter of one of our
shepherds, living near Ben Lone."
CHAPTER XI.
THE VAILED PASSENGER.
We must return to the night of the murder, and to the man and woman whom
Salome Levison heard, and did not merely "dream" that she heard,
conversing under her balcony at midnight.
When left alone in her dark and silent hiding-place, the woman waited
long and impatiently. Sometimes she crept out from her shadowy nook, and
stole a look up to the casements of the castle, but they were all dark
and silent, and closely shut, save one immediately above her head, which
stood open, though neither lighted nor occupied.
She had waited perhaps an hour when stealthy footsteps were heard
approaching, and not one, but two men came up whispering in hurried and
agitated tones. She caught a few words of their troubled talk.
"You have betrayed me! I never meant, under any circumstances, that you
should have done such a deed!" said one.
"It was necessary to our safety. We should have been discovered and
arrested," said the other.
"You have brought the curse of Cain upon my head!" groaned the first
speaker.
"Come, come, my lord, brace up! No one intended what has happened. It was
an accident, a calamity, but it is an accomplished fact, and 'what is
done, is done,' and 'what is past remedy is past regret.' If the old man
hadn't squealed--"
"Hush! burn you! the girl will hear!" whispered the first speaker, as
they approached the woman under the balcony.
"Rose, here; don't speak. Take this bag; be very careful of it; do not
let it for a moment go out of your sight, or even out of your hand. Go
to Lone station. The train for London stops there at 12:15. Take a
second-class ticket, keep your face covered with a thick vail until you
get to London, and to the house. I will join you there in a few days,"
said the first speaker, earnestly.
"Why canna ye gae now, my laird?" impatiently inquired the girl.
"It would be dangerous, Rose."
"I'm thinking it is laughing at me ye are, Laird Arondelle. You'll bide
here and marry yon leddy," said the girl, tossing her head.
"No, on my soul! How can I, when I have married you? Have you not got
your marriage certificate with you?"
"Ay, I hae got my lines, but I dinna like ye to bide here, near your
leddy, whiles I gang my lane to London."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account