Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1905-08-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUMMARY.  The story opens with an interview between Mrs Adelaide Conyers and Esmond Wilmot at ties formers flat in Westbury Mansions. Mrs Conyers' real name is Lady Devereux; but shortly after her marriage to Lord Cecil Devereux he left her, and Elie has since adopted measures which have led him to belive that she is dead. Esmond Wilmot is the nephew and heir of Sir George Wilmot, an old and very wealthy baronet, whose title he would also inherit. Lord Cecil Devereux occupies the same relationship towards Sir George Wilmot namely, that of nephew. At the time the story opens, Lady Devereux, notwithstanding the fact of her husband being still alive, has promised to marry Prince Garetein, an intensely wealthy Russian nobleman, who is passionately infatuated with her. Esmond Wilmot tells Mrs Conyers that Sir George, his uncle, has heard of her integue with Prince Gerstein, and threateua to denounce her to him. The two then arrange to meet at Wilmot Lodge to eiiirder the old ha tenet, so that Wilmot may come into his ir hesitance. Tvio new characters are now eitrodaeed in the tortens of Mary Wilmot, Esmond Wi:mot'i wife, and Janet Deeds, her old servant. Mary Wilmot maimed Esmond secretly at Rome. Ile broug et he to England and shut her sp in a swell house, where he visited her occasionally. On the evening of his appointment at his unsle's house he trills on his neglected wife to tell her that the marriage was a sham, and refuses her request to repair the wrong done to her. A young and heaatitiful actress now come on the sine. 'I his is Sybil Montague, a young girl, who, left renniless and alone, has adopted the stage for a living. She is touring with a provincial company when she saves the life of Lord Cecil Devereux, who is thrown from his horse at her feet. Devereux falls in love with her, and meeting her again at Brighton, proposes and is accepted. Wilmot, however, has also made the acquaintance of tne girl and hopes to win her, when he finds himself superseded by Devereux. Ile, therefore, revenges himself by informing Lord Cecil that his wife still lives, which causes Devereux to at once break off the connection between himself and Miss Montague, without, however, assigning any reason Wilmot and Mrs Conyers accomplish the shameful murder of the defenoeleas old man, having for eye-witness of the deed, Janet, Mary Wilmot's servant, who had followed Wilmot when he left her mistress in the hope of softening his hard heart. She decides to say nothing for the present. Wilmot asks Mrs Conyers to go down to Ravensmere, one of his houses, and take Sybil Montague as her companion. He proposes to the girl, i but s rejected. From a discharged clerk, who had been in the service of his uncle's solicitors, Wilmot learns that a later will, appointing Devereux as his heir, has been left by Sir George. Janet Deeds pays a visit to London and warns Wilmot, who promises to consider the question of a marriage with her mistress. Sybil Montague leaves Ravensmere hurriedly when she learns fro,n Wilmot that Mrs Conyers is in reality Lady Devereux. She goes to London to her friend Miss Mont MO rency, where Wilmot follows her, and eventually persuades her to be his wife. Mrs Ceuyers brings about a duel between her husband, Lord Devereux, and Prince Gerstein, in which Devereux is seriously wounded. Miss Montmorency, who has heard the true reason why the match between Sybil and Lord Devereux was broken off, keeps Cie bad news from the girls Whose redding with Wilmot is to take place in a few days. Janet Deeds discovers that the lady whose trou.sseau her mistress has been embroidering is to be the bride of Sir Esmond Wilmot, and nhe resolves to stop the wedding, which is to take place at Wilmot's place in Warwickshire Mrs Cletyess i arrested for murder when on the point 01 leavine England