Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-09-27

| iounu III tne uDrary-a collection OF lie
genus, containing many illustrations of al
urcanny and grewsome nature. hat
become absorbed in particularly horri
pie story, when was startled by light
cold touch upon my shoulder; and, turn
ing round, saw that Lady Jane had en-
tered noiselessly and was standing behinC
me.
She laughed mischievously.
How nervous you are, Miss Wacie.
she said. 81 have really terrified you; anC
as nave come to ask favor, that was
very pad policy. May | stay here with
you for whileP This is far cosiel
place than the drawing-room, and will bt
better still if we put out the lamp and
content ourselves with the freight. Oh
Pm so tired of those people 7"
| Those people! There were no guests
except Mr.. Cardigan and Sir Hugh Shat
to; and this was her lovers last night al
Castle Kevin.
Will they not miss yOu?' 1 asked,
She drew herself up haughtily.
Whether they miss me or notis entire
ly my own affair. If you do not desire
my company, that is, of course, another
Dy no means desired it. Lady Jane
was apparently in one of her strange
moods; and besides, felt sure that her
parents would be annoyed, and Sir Hugh
grieved by her absence. However.
could only say that she was welcome,
hoping, even while / uttered the polite
falsehood, that somebody might be sent
in search of her. But no one came,
She extinguished the lamp, stirred the
fire into blaze, and seated herself oppo-
site to me. L had laid my book on the
table, and she took it up.
what have you been reading?" she
asked. "Goblin stories, to Judge by the
pictures; Do you believe in ghosts, Miss
Lately imported from the matter-of-
fact atmosphere of Polyglot House-be-
lieve in ghosts! denied all supernatural
fears, with perhaps unnecessary vehe-
mence.
Lady Jane smiled O little mocking
smile that nettled me.
THAT is WE'LL" she said, s'for of course
this house is haunted; and if you do hap
pen to meet the ghost-or ghosts rather,
for there are two of them--you won't
mind. You know that door on the left
hand of the passage near your bedroom"
The door in question opened ON a stair
case leading to some rooms that Winifred
and | had explored one wet afternoon.
They were mere dilapidated garrets, con-
tanning only some wOrm-eaten furniture
put there to be out of the way. In the
furthest of them we found small door,
secured by rusty bolts, which we drew
back with much difficulty. 1t gave access
to narrow platform on the r0of-a dam
gerous standing-place, for it had no para
pet nor protection of any kind; and
he II 10 fhA fxov-r
my pupil in with me. told this to Lady
Jane.
SIT is there that the ghosts walk" she
said. "Winnie does not know of their ex-
istence, or she would certainly have
avoided their territory. But you shall hear
their story if you like"
"The Lord Conyngton of Charles LIS
time married young Frenchwoman of
noble family, Gabrielle de st. Meurice
by name-one of the ladies who had ac-
companied Queen Henrietta Maria to
England. She was very lovely-I must
show you her picture it is in the Blue
Chamber, the room Sir Hugh occupies at
present-and the Earl almost idoliZed her;
but he was jealous and could not bear to
witness the attention she received from the
courtiers, especially from a French Mar
quis, her cousin, to whom it was reported
she had formerly been attached. So he
brought her to this lonely place-lonelier
than now, and dangerous too for in those
days the Irish were wild folks indeed.
The petted court favorite pined in her
solitude; but Lord Conyngton had her all
to himself, and for q time was content.
By degrees, however, his suspicious re-
viyed. He watched her almost unceas-
ingly, and at last his vigilance was re-
warded.
"One winters night, while wandering
about, he saw footsteps in the newly
fallen snow-a mans foOtsteps-and
traced them to part of the house where
the ivy, which grew thick and strong,
was torn and some of its leaves scattered
over the white ground. He returned to
the house, and in one of those old rooms
found his wife with her cousin, who had
climbed up by the ivy, and entered
the small door opening on the
roof. He now attempted to escape by the
same way; but Lord Conyngton fol-
lowed and grppled with him on the mar
row platform. The Marquis fought for
his life; but his opponent was stronger,
and after brief struggle, flung him into
the courtyard below.
"When the enrsged husband returned to
where Gabrielle lay covering on the floor,
there was that in his face that made her
rise and flee from him +; but he overlook
her, and stabbed her, needless of her cries
and her prayers, and her arms clinging
around him.
sLong afterward some letters were found
which entirely proved the poor lady's in
nocence, showing that she had met her
kinsman only to arrange some plan of
escape from her weary life here to her re-
lations In France. Upon this discovery,
Lord Conyngton, overcome by remorse,
entered a monastery, where he died; as
he left no children, the title and estates
passed to our branch of the family. But
his spirit and Gabrielle's still haunt the
scene of the tragedy; and she has often
been heard crying, as on that dreadful
night, for 'Mercy-mercyv"
"As for the ghost part" said /, 81
don't believe a word of It. But was Lord
suffered to go unpunished for
that double murder?-was there no in
quiry?"
" History is silent on that point" said
Lady Jane; "but don't suppose there
was coroner's inquest. Crime was too
easily hushed up in those good old times
here in Ireland, where peo-