The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-02-18
TED 5IAGE ROBE.
BY WILEIE COLLINS.
AUTHOR or
THE WOMAN Is WHITE" "rHE MooNsToNE,'
"AFTER Dark" $50 NAME" OMAN AND
WIFE" ,""TuE LAW AND THE LADY"
"rHE NEW MAGDALES,"
ETC, ETC.
BEFORE THE STORY.
FIRST SCENE BouLooNE-sUR-AIgR. TUE DUEL.
VII.

On tho rising ground OF enc OF the
wildest moors in the North Riding OF
YORKSHIRE, tie ruins of tho I'D monas-
tory are visible from all points Of the
compass. There ere traditions OF thriv-
ing villages clustering about the Abbey,
in the days OF tho monks, and of hos.
telries devoted to the reception OF pill
Prims from every part OF the Christian
world. Not q vestige of these build
inEs is left They were deserted by the
pious inhabitants, il is said. at the time
when Henry the Eighth suppressed the
lnonasterios, aud gave the Abbey aud
the broad lands OF Vsnge to his faith
mi friend and courtier, Sir Miles TO
mayno. In the next generation the
son and heir OF Sir Miles b1il5 the
dwelling-house, helping himself iiber-
ally from tho soll s.oha walls OF the
monastery. With soma nnimpor'ant
alterations and repairs the house
stands, deiging time aud weather, to
the present day.
At tie last station on The railway
The horses We're waiting for us. II waa
a lovely moonlight night, and VIC short.
ened the distance considerably by talk
.lg the brijle-path over tho moor. Be
twcen nine and ten O'clock We reached
tho Abbey.
Years had passed. since l had last been
Romayne's guest Nothing ont Of the
house or in the house seemed to have
undergone any change in tho interval.
Neither the good North country butler,
nor his bulom Scotch wife, skilled il
cookery, looked any older; they re
ceiyed me as if had left them dnl
or two since. and hal come back Ggain
to live in Yorkshire. My voll-rcmom
bored bedroom was waiting for me
and tho lnatchless old Malen0 vel
coined US when my host anl L met il
the inner-hall, which was the ordiner.
duiug-room % The Abbey.
As We faced zach other at the we'll
spread ;aIlc, began 70 hope that ih'
f.niliar induences OF his country hom
were Aa.,innias already to breathe ihci
blessed qnict oyer the disturbed mint
Of Ronly4o. Ia tho presence of hi
faithful old servants he seemed to b
capable of controlling tho morbid re
morse that oppressed him. lie spok
to them composedly and kindly; Ii
was afroctionatoly glad to SEQ his ol
friond once more in the oil he'tsc.
When we weco near the end OF on
meal something happened that staltlc
ne. l had iuss handed the wine t.
Romayne, and he had filed his glass
whom ho suddenly turned pale an
lifted his head Ike 4 man whose atten
ton is unexpectedly roused. Nc per
son but Ourselves was in the room;
vus not speaking to him at the time
He looked round suspiciously at tn
door behind him loading into the librar
and rang the old-fashioncd handbel
which stood by him on the table. Th
servant was directed to close the doc.
"Aro you cold ?" I asked.
"No." Ho reconsidered that brie
answer, and contradiciei himself
"Yes--the library fire has burnt low,
suppose"
In my position at the table ] ha
seen the fire the grato was hcape
with blazing Goals and wood. / sal
nothing. Tho pale change n his fac
and tho contradictory rel!y rouse
doubts in ma whicl, had hoped move
to feel again.
He pushed away his glass of win
and still kept liz eyes fixed on t
closed door. Ills attitude aud expr'
sion were plainly suggestive Of the a
of listening. Listening to what? ?
After an interval, he abruptly e
dressed mo-
"Do You call it qpiot nightS"
said.
"As quiet as quiet can be-" 7
Piled. "The wind has dropped, y
oven the fro doesn't crackle. PERI
To- stillness-indoors and out"
"Ont ?" ho repeated, For Inom'
ho looked AZ me intenily, as il | b
started some new idea in his mind.
asked a. lightly ~ ] couli II I !
said anything 70 sifprie- him. lnst'
OF answering mo he started out Of
chair with u cry of terror and left
room.
1 scarcely knew what 10 do. 1t !
IL impossible, unless ne returned im'
diately, 10 lot this extraordinary P
coeding pass without notice. Al
waiting for few minutes, rang
bell.
The old huiler came in. fie looI
in blank amazcment at the empty CHI
"Whore's the maslcrY" he asked.
Icould only answer that he left
table suddenly, without u word Of
les les planalion. "Io mag perhaps be ILL.,
Dc addod. "As his old .'eryant, YOU
at do no harm ii you go aud look for h
Say chat am waiting here, If he wa
me"
's' The Minutes passed slowly and m
slowly, / was loft alono FOR so Ions
VI time that began to feel seriously
t7 easy ny hand was on the bell aga
when there was knock at the door.
,. had expected to see tho butler 1t
900 the groom who entered the room.
-" Garthwaiie can't come down to y
sir" said the man. "lIe asks il
viii please 60 mp TO the master on
> Belvidere."
The house, extending round IL
sides Of a square, was only two sto
high The Hat roof, accessible thro
species tof hatchway, and still
VI rounded by its sturdy stone para