The sun., 1894-05-13
MY LADY ROTHA.
A ROMANCE.
By STANLEY J. wEYMAN, Author Of
"a Gentleman of France, F" 1.-The
House Of the Wolf" &c.
CHAPTER XVIII.

TO that Master Steward"
Yes" answered hardly. am the one
and you are the other Herr Krspp."
He turned from me and closed the door.
and. coming back. held the light again TO my
face. so you still think that II was Jour
lady's woman you saw at the window there ?"
lam sure OF It." I answered.
He set down his light on chair and. leaning
against the wall. seemed to consider me. After
. pause. And you have been to the house. 1
suppose"
"Ihave been to the house -truitlessly.'
You learned nothing"
Nothing"
Then what do you want to do now" he
asked. softly rubbing his chin.
TO see the inside of that house,
And you propose"
To enter IL from yours" I answered.
-sureiy you have some dormer. some trap
door. somo roof-way. by which bold man may
get from this house to the next enc"
He shook his head. Il know none" he snid
but that is not all Don't you zee that you
arc asking very stran ge thing ain a peace
full man. and. hope. sood neiRhbor; and
this which you ask mo to do cam OF he called
nsighborly. However. l need say the less
about that. because the thing cannot be done.''
will you let me try?' cried.
He ed to reflect In the end he made
strange answer. What time did you call at
Perhaps an hour aRo--perhaps more"
Did you see any one in the churchyard as
you passed"
Yes" 1 said slowly; "there was man at
work there. L asked MIN the way
Herr hrapp nouueu anu seemeu 10 renect
again. wen. ne saiu at last Nb strong
thing you ASK master steward. but l nave
my own reasons for suspecting that all 10 not
right next door. and therefore you shall havo
your way as Tar as looking round goes But
do not think that you VIII be able TO DO any
thing"
ask no moro than tha'. sald. uemDing
with eagernsss.
He looked at mo again as no took ND tho
light You are u big man. he said. but are
Sor armodF strength Is OF 'ilttie avail against
sbullet."
showed him that had orace o. pistois
and he turned toward tho stairs. Dorcas Is
In tho Kitchen he said. Ny sons are out,
and 50 are the lads. Nerertheless. l am not
very proud OF our errand: SO step softly. my
friend. and do not grumble II you have your
labor for your pains"
le led the way UP the stairs with that and
followed him. Tho house was very silent. ana
the higher We ascendod the moro the silence
grew upon MS. until. In tho empty upper part.
evory footiali seemed TO make honoW echo.
and every board that creased under our tread
10 whisper that wewere about q work OF dan
yer. When We reached the uppermost landing
al all. Herr hrapp stopped. and. raising his
light. pointed to the unceiled rafters.
See. there Is no way out he said. And II
you could get out, you could not get In
nodded rs L looked round Clearly. this
floor was not much used. In a corner room
had been at some period roughly partitioned
on; otherwise the place was huxe garrett
the boards covered with scraps ot mortar the
corners full OF shadows and old lumber and
cObw0Da 6lODing
dormer windows shutt cred md upglazed:
.od h.sid. tL" rro.t y.wning wall of ,ho
anu, oesiue the great yaWning Won oi tno
staircase BY which We had asccnded. lay a
p"eNms IVA auu 49, IN, .N,,t.. 90 =, .'
oio rot'in9 paiet uaa 'oxe'heI Win rooes 1
Al bv the liybt of our ona cansIs mad for.
" " ~ " -, . ~.
The tiles was hot and close: the straw gave
ont . mus,y smell
Twas glad when Herr Knapp went to one OF
the windows. and. letting down the bar. opened
sn. S. sanS.
hstora"tbs % nurmur ' Of the sitv " Of I'm m. stres,,
us'o,o Wv. Ni, '"I ,, VI ,no s.t.es.
into the cool night air. and reioieed to soe the
iIubts aieIerine I'm IN, stroets below. and the
shadosy figures moving this way and that.
Above the opposite houses the low sky was
eo oua n, en,nsSys ,' =, s'ooI ous Us, U,a AGn''
II. ana In the streets II was q ARK night
/ took all this in aud then 1 turned to the
,,ch, nd IooL al ~ ,ha raxt honsa
fiGh. anu iooken NJ 'ne next house' Aa" As
much as expected more enough 10 set my
.s-, ,.an, ,h,.h ,o.nod "a ,r . - Iii.
.ha' rom "hlch leaned ahu on ievei WIN
H. was open, II l might nudge from
the stream OF light which poured through
y. ana was every now and then cut on as II hy
amoving h2ure that passed at intervals be-
tween the easement and the candle Who or
what this was could not say. IL might Ge
Marie; IL might not But at the mere Thought
/ leaned out further and greedily measured
the dis, ance between Us.
Alas urIwesn the dOrmer gable In which
stood and the nns in the nsxt house lay twelve
feet of ete.p ROO; on Which n eat would have
been puzzled to stanG. lis edge toward ths
street was guarded by no gutter, ledge. or
wooden water pipe. iour inches square. Below
shnt v.,vnaI eI.ar ,Fi,IIv ,Iror f.at -