The Irish standard., 1886-05-22
THE SPECTRE.


And the Leaf from the Laurel!'
THE SPECTRE.
| It was early morning, and Thomas
LORDS valet, had waited on his mas
ter's Americans guest to see what he de
sired him to do for him.
I Thomas was too well-bred to appear te
notice anything remarkable, but there
certainly was something odd in the gen
! tleman's manner, and he had not the look
of one who had enjoyed refreshing slum
bers Twice he seemed ON the point o
propounding Question-twice he check
ed himself. AT last just rs the maj
turned to leave the room he spoke:
Thomas, have been awake all night. :
'My lord will regret to hear it," saiG
Thomas.
Something very odd disturbed me-
continued the gentleman. Have you any
reason to believe that any OF the women
servants have lost their senses?"
':Any of the maids, SIR said Thomas
"Oh, no, sir. ! am sure none of the maids
! are out Of their senses. SIR"
Zone Of the maids kept ME awake al
last night" said the American.
zone of the maids, sr!'' cried Thomas,
eyes, Thomas. She kept running into
my room, at least every half hour, to look
| in the glass aud admire herself.
| .sShe came out of that, door," and he
pointed to one in a corner, Sand walked
straight up to the mirror; the light from
the night-lamp fell upon her face; she
seemed to catch my eye in the glass each
or,1 1oI chf. n r
her face in the mirror but it was very
pretty, though very pale. She wore a
short quilted skirt q little black bodice
and full white sleeves She had gold
cross tied about her neck by black rib
bon, and wore al1ttle cap on her black
braids-a very young girl with perfectly
French face, Thomas. Do you know her?'
Thomas made no answer. He looked
at the gentleman steadily and grew very
pale. At last he spoke:
eff have the honor of understanding
you, sir, the young person came through
this door,"
eyes" said the American.
..More than once, sir?'
ssAbout once an hour, from midnight
until dawn"
stShe was young, pretty and French
looking, and wore q quilted skirt, q bod
ice and cap, sir?"
'.Exactly, Thomas
s.And smiled at you in the glass, where
you saw her face? I understand she did
not look toward you as she passed, sir?"
.Right, Thomas.''
:;May beg you to do me the favor of
looking into this room, SIR"
The gentleman followed Thomas to the
door through which he asserted that the
young person had passed; and saw no.
thing but a square closet about twelve
feet square, with no door save the one
that opened into the large room and high
in the ceiling a little window through
which bird could scarcely have flown. 1t
1t contained no furniture whatever.
s'You will acknowledge, sir,'' said
Thomas very gravely, 'sthat any ordin-
ary young person must have remained
here if she had entered as you think she
did, sir, aud that we should now find her
here, slr.''
ssThere must be a secret door-or-or
some thingv cried the American. 81 am
not mad, and I was wide awake"
Yes sir,' said Thomas, still more SOL
EMMY. GAS l remarked, an ordinary
young person could not have contrived to
disappear: but am we'll aware that the
young person you have seen is not an or
dinary person, sir. She has been an ap-
partition" sir, for ore than two hundred
years."
can apparition? cried the American
gentleman.
eyes, sir,'' replied Thomas, Ign appa~
rition, sir. I think you have seen Lady
IS gentlewoman Rosette, sir. 1t is ten
years since she was seen here before to my
knowledge, but she has been seen very
often. Yes, sir, it must have been Ro
sette."
81 should like to hear more about Ro-
sette, said the gentleman.
eyes, SIR" said the valet ':This is a
very old family, and they have lived on
this estate since the time of Queen Eliza
beth, and about two hundred years ago
there was Lord Herbert-my present
master is Lord Herbert, as you know; it is
favorite name in the fa1nlly-who was
very gay, wild young nobleman, and
was q great adnirer of the ladies, sir.
However, by the time he was thirty he
married and settled down, and began to
he very much thought OF and respected.
So was his lady, too, sir, though she was
not handsome and was very naughty.
Zone thing, however, the English
servants did not like-she brought for
eign maid with her from France-a girl
named Rosette, and as pretty as picture.
:My lady thought all the world of her,
and of course, the people were jealous
and talked against Rosette, and the
women began to say something about the
way my lord looked at her. However that
might be my lady loved her, and think
she thought too much of herself to be
jealous of her maid, until one day, sitting
before her glass, Rosette cornbing her
hair for her. she heard her husband come
into the room. Her back was toward him,
and Rosette was behind her, aud they
forgot the mirror, and 80, sir, she saw in
it without stirring, both their faces, and
she saw the girl smile at her husband,
and she saw him smile back at her. She
understood every thing, but she never
stirred and she never said anything to
him, no nor to the maid, sir.
s.This was her room. sir. In that little
closet Rosette had her bed, to be ready If.
Subscribe for the irish Standard.
NJ