The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1894-12-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER VII. ssaurr 1111WITION,  The parish church at Chetwynd-by-Sea was a Gothic structure of grey stone, and stood at one end of the long straggling village street. Upon , one side of it was the grey stone Gothic rectory, half hidden in mantling ivy-vines. In the rear of ' the church, upon an inferior street, a sort of green I lane, stood the sexton's dwelling, in the middle of Itlechanies'-row, a block of two-storeyed dingy brick houses of humble pretensior.s. he keys of , the elmr_h wi.re kept, the one by the rector, the ! other by the sexton. There were two keys to the family vault of the ' Chetwynds. One of them WJA kept locked in the church safe, with the church register and records and the silver communion service. The key of , the safe was in the possession of the rector, The I other key of the vault was in the keeping of the Chetwynd family, and was deposited in the tall walled-in safe in the library of Chetwynd Park, in company with valuable family papers, heirlooms, rewrite, and giver plate. In order to carry out his plans, it was necessary that Gilbert Monk should possess himself of one of the keys of the Chetwynd burial vault, and also find means to enter the church. The task appeared difficult; but be was no a man to be du:roared by obstacles. ne returned home from the funeral in advance of Lord Chetwynd, went to his room, packed his portmanteau, and ordered a carriage to take him to .stbourrie in time to catch the early morning up train. Then he went to his sister's room. Miss Monk sat before her fire, There was a red gleam in her half-shut eyes that spoke of jubilant: triumph. She was looking into an ivory-framed hand-mirror, and studying the effect of her now jet , earrings, shaped as crosses. "Busy worshipping at the -usual shrine, eh, Sylvia? said Gilbert Monk, lightly, closing the door behind him, and satisfying himself with • glance that old Rages was not present. "fm off to town again. Chetwynd Park is intolerable to . me in its present gloom. I shall be bear and forth, of course, but my address for the present will be at Scotsby and Newman'e, Chancery-lane. What are you going to do with yourself, my dear?" Miss Monk laid down her hand-glare upon her knee, and answered, with cool deliberation— "l have done with action, Gilbert. It is not necessary for me to do anything." "Do you intend to remain at Chetwynd Park?'  " Moet assuredly," said Miss Monk, coolly. "My foot is here, eel may say, upon my native heath. lam no longer the poor dependent, but prospective mistress of all these grandeur.. Mrs Skewer went to Lord Chetwynd's room this morning for directions in regard to something or other. He waved her off, raving, 'Go to Miss Monk.' lam virtually mistress here. Of course I shall stay." "You're a lucky woman," said Monk, drawing , a chair near hem and stating himself. "I dare say, if you besiege the fortress properly, that you ' may become the second Lady Gbetwynd." There is no possible doubt on the subject," replied Miss Monk, Positively. "He was bound to me. His mother urged him to marry me. He considered me for a long time as his future wife. He knows that I love him. And, to crown all, Bernice, when dying, told him that she did not want him to mourn always for her—that ohs hoped ho would marry me in a year. She clasped my hand in his, ands'? died."  "Incredible !"  "1.13-co-uTd-I;ave said so if you had told me the story," said Miss Monk; "but Bernice never was like anyone else. The knowledge that her husband had been my betrothed bier W3B gall and wormwood to her. In her exalted moods she Wag quite capable of committing suicide in order to leave him free."  "I wish you all succcee, if I may he allowed to reiterate my good wisheei," said Monk, coolly; "said now I must be oy. 'congratulate you upon your success, and I promise you that I will do nothing to mar it." Sylvia Monk started and looked at bar brother uneasily. " What success?' she demanded, looking out at him from under her heavy drooping eyelids in a quick, furtive way. "And how could you mar it if you wished ? You talk in riddles, Gilbert." "Yea? Let ma tell yon plainly, then," and he put his mouth close to her ear and hissed, "I know how Lady Chetwynd died. I know it all." Mies Monk shrank away from him, her face growing livid, a, wild look in her opening eyes. She tried to speak. but no sound came from her trembling lips. But there was an expression of terror on her face, of agonised questioning' of deadly fear, that were sufficient confession of her guilt. Monk laughed softly, enjoying her abject fear. The hand-mirror slid from Sylvia's knees to the Boor, and she laid back her head on the cushions on her chair gasping for breath. "Did you feel so secure, then ?" asked Monk. "You need not take my discovery so to heart. You are free to wear what you have won, or can win. Only when I want money I shall expect you to supply me. That is the point of all my remarks. I have got a hold upon you whether you acknowledge it or not, and you must be my banker till I realise from a venture I am now making, and which will bring me a fortune. I shall want large sums of money, possibly, and you must get them for me. I say must. You menage other things so cleverly—such as rem°, ing a rival, for instance -.that it will be but a mere trifle for you to secure , me such sums of money as I may want from time Ito time. Good-bye." 1 Ile touched her hand lightly, and went out of the room airly, leaving her alone. She looked after him fearingly. "How much dose he know?' she whispered. "There was a vast amount of hidden meaning in his manner. But he can only suspect. But I shall not dare refuse him money when he asks for it. lam to •eartain =Ora in his Liworer." On leaving Nr.151, himak's room (Albert walked Owen thern= ball tomurcl the grand staircase. As be for • monmenr on the landing WORM with her hearnmishief at her eyes catered Ike MI IA *lsms sad from a long corridor Wad, Irmeripsossi IS look at the woman as she glissidisd. Her Ws ribboned white cap gele-paglelny ma v6ar bOO% bar smart and coquetebb; "-`-a, sodo all - "-oed her to lleed7 French  atti—te Mak  chattering