Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-11
CHAPTER xxx.
The Message.

4
dearest girl. I am quite sure that Raven
spur will tell You when the proper time
comes. Once we are on board the yacht
there will be no occasion for further Sc
crecy. Another hour and we shall be on
our way l am not a nervous man. but
this thing is beginning to worry me"
Vera persisted no further. The hand
had just ceased playing, and there was a
sudden rush of guests into the garden, so
that there was no opportunity for further
privacy. A somewhat ipperous dow
ager pounced down upon Walter. with a
request that he would find her daughter,
and there was nothing for it but to obey.
Just for a moment Vera stood Tn the
midst of laughing. chattering group of
friends, then she managed to slip away
unseen. She wanted to be alone and
think this matter out
| She was just little hurt that the others
had not taken her into their contid ance.
Still. perhaps, Lord Ravenspur had acted
in this way to save her pain and annoy
ance. He had always been kind and con-
siderate to her. She owed him deep
debt of gratitude. And yet. up to few
moments ago, she had been prepared to
turn her back upon her best friends and
face the world alone. But she could not
do that now. She would have to abandon
her plans for the future. She would have
to stay by Lord Ravenspur's side until
| this terrible danger was past. She was
only girl and could not do much. Still,
that little she would do cheerfully.
Vera was still busy with these painful
thoughts when a footman came up and
spoke to her. He had a note on a tray,
which he handed to Vera, with the init
nation that there was no reply. So far
as Vera could tell, the handwriting was
quite strange to her.
| who brought this?" she demanded
1T was left by some strange man,
miss" the servant sad. Il was to give
it to you at once, when you were alone
| if possible"
The footman's manner was perfectly
respect ful. He discreetly said nothing of
the sovereign which had accompanied
the letter. Vera turned away and broke
the seal. She was in a somewhat Sc
cluded part of the garden now, but she
had no difficulty In reading the letter with
the aid of the sparkling points of flame
which glmmered from the branches of
the overhanging trees.
MY dear child the letter ram, l want
you to read this alone. / want you to
promise me that 1t shall be shown to no.
body. I daresay you will wonder why l
write like this. after all these years. but
can only plead that circumstances, not
myself, are alone to blame. / want you
to believe that up till quite recently I was
hardly aware of your existence. But all
these things l can explain when we meet.
Naturally you will ask yourself who l
am, and why l should venture to address
you in this fashion. You will see pres
emily.
For the last eighteen years you have
dwelt under the roof OF Lord Ravenspur.
You have passed his ward. and l I'M
derstand that he has taken the greatest
care Of you. This much goes to his
credit. But that he behaved like
scoundrel at the outset l am prepared to
prove. Had it not been for him we
should not have been parted all these
years. and you would have had a better
chance of making the acquaintance of
your most unhappy mother.
There. / have told the truth at length.
and now you are aware who it is that
thus addresses you. When we meet l
shall be able to explain why did nothing
all these years-but 1 am wasting time.
know that you are going away tonight.
know that you may be out OF London
for some months. At present circum
stances do not permit me to claim my
rights or to interfere with your plans.
You will go away this evening just as If
nothing had happened, but before you go
it is most imperative that l should see
you, If only for half an hour. l have
had this letter sent you by a trusty
friend. who will not fail me. If you will
go through the shrubbery at the back to
Lady Ringmars house you will find a
pathway bordered with nut trees. which
ends in green gate, leading to the lane
at the back of the house. There you will
find another friend, who will bring you to
me without delay. l give you my word l
will not detain you more than half an
hour. Then you can return to your
friends as II nothing had happened. They
will be none the wiser. Indeed. I will
ask YOU not to mention this letter to them
at all.
fusal for l know that you will come,
especially when / sign myself
Your unhappy mother,
''CARLOTTA F'LAVIO."
In a state\of mind bordering On abso-
ute bew:lderment, Vera read the letter
again and again. 1t filled her with
pain which was closely akin to shame.
So far as she could see there was no mis-
taking the relationship which at one time
had existed between the writer of the
letter and Lord Ravenspur. natural
craving and desire to see her mother
came over Vera. She knew there was yet
time to get away from Lady Ringmar's
house and back again before the hour
fixed for their departure. Vera slipped
the letter inside her dress, and with a
firm, determined step strobe off in the
direction of the shrubbery. She came
presently to the spot indicated in the let
tier. She looked eagerly around to see il
anybody awaited her. There was the
faint suggestion of cigarette smoke lin
gering in the air, and then, from a turn
in the path the figure of a man emerged.
Vera could see that he was exceedingly
well turned out in evening DR. S.; The
dust coat he was wearing only partially
concealed a slim-bult, athletic figure
For the rest, the man was good 10 )kng
enough, and Vera judged from his dark
eyes and black mustache that he was a
foreigner, doubtless some relation o. her
mother. He lifted his hat with great
courtesy and waited for the gill to
speak
II am Vera Rayne,' she sad quite
simply.
II am already aware of that" the
stranger replied. Il suppose you received
the countess letter? But you must have
done so, otherwise you would not be here.
You are prepared"
Zone moment" Vera said. Caution had
suddenly returned to her. and there was
some thing in the eager light in the mans
eyes now that warned her to be careful
Il shall be glad IL you will let M know
who you are. What is your name, for
Iinstance?"
The CLEAN in the strangers eyes deep
ened in intensity, a quick frown knitted
his brows.
Can it in the least matter?" he de-
manded. You have received the Litter
and 1t is only for you to obey
There was a peremptory ring in the
speech which Vera did not Xix. at all.
She realized that she was in a lonely
part of the grounds. and that, in case
of need. ssistance was a long way off.
She began to wish that she had been
more prudent. After all, the whole thing
might be a plot against her happiness, a
scheme into which she had fallen without
asking herself a single question These
doubts became something like certainties