CHAPTER XII.
A MADDENED LOVER.
"What is there that I should turn to, Lighting upon days like these? Every door is barred with gold, And opens but to golden keys. Every gate is thronged with suitors, All the markets overflow; I have but an angry fancy, What is there that I should do?"
Ela trembled with fear when those hands clutched her and those wordswere hissed in her ear, for she knew she had come to her reckoning withher wronged lover.
And no one knew better than herself the mad, jealous temperament withwhich she had to deal. Vernon Ashley's love was a frenzy, a tornado,sweeping all before the wild rush of its passion.
He had spent all the force of this passion on the pale-faced, gray-eyedEla, and she had returned it with all the love of which her weak naturewas capable.
If Mrs. Ellsworth's invitation had never come, Ela would have marriedher lover, and been as tolerably happy with him as it was possible for awoman whose god was self, and who worshiped gold as the most preciousthing in life.
The sudden wild ambition to win the rich master of Ellsworth made hersweep aside like chaff every obstacle she found in her way, and onleaving Richmond, a cold and cruel letter went to Vernon Ashley,breaking their engagement, with the lying excuse that she had beenmistaken in her feelings, and found she did not love him, after all.
Mad with love and jealousy, he followed her to Ellsworth, hoping to winher back.
He could not believe that she did not love him, after all that hadpassed between them in their happy courtship days; but he comprehendedthat ambition was spurring her on to win a richer lover, since she hadnever concealed from him her wild yearning for wealth.
Baffled, thwarted, his heart burning for a sight of her too fatallybeloved face, he had lingered in the neighborhood, hoping to surprise aninterview from her, and in this hope he had come to the church to-nightand waited about till success crowned his hopes.
He saw her steal away to brood alone over her secret pain beneath thedark shadows of the trees, and the sight of the pale, fair face and thelimpid gray eyes thrilled his heart with the longing to clasp her madlyin his arms and kiss her till the old love flowed back into her breastand made her own her falsehood and plead for his forgiveness.
Lingering behind the tree where she sat, he waited and watched till sheturned to go, then the hunger of his heart overcame him. He dartedforward, clasping her wrists in a steely grasp, hissing angrily in herear:
"Cruel, heartless girl! You shall stay and hear me at last!"
Ela trembled with fear, and tried to struggle away; for she knew wellthat he had a most violent temper when aroused, and that her falsity hadlashed his nature almost to madness.
"Let me go, or I shall scream!" she whispered, threateningly.
But he answered, coolly:
"Dare to scream, and when they come to your aid, they will find a deadwoman on the ground!"
"Would you murder me?" she shuddered.
"Do you not deserve it, false-hearted girl? Have you not ruthlesslymurdered my love and faith, thrown my heart aside like a worn-out glove?Did you think I was a man to be played with in that fashion?"
She realized that she dare not defy him; she must try to work on thesofter side of his nature. With her eyes faltering before the wrath ofhis piercing black eyes, she murmured:
"Oh, forgive me, I entreat you. I did not mean to play with your love,but I was mistaken in my feelings. I realized I did not love you wellenough to marry you, so it was better to break the engagement."
"You lie, false-hearted girl! You loved me well, and you love me still.Love can not be so quickly unlearned. It is ambition that tempted youfrom me--that love of gold that always cursed your weak nature!" hereturned, scornfully, stinging her to retort, angrily:
"What then? You can not help yourself! A girl may take back her promiseif she will, and there is no law to make her marry when she does notchoose!"
He tightened his clasp on her wrists till she sobbed with pain, and benthis dark face, distorted with demoniac rage, close to hers, hissing:
"And with the poor excuse that there is no law against it, you break ahuman heart and wreck a human life as ruthlessly as you would trample aflower springing in your path. Are you not afraid?"
"Afraid--of what?" she murmured, uneasily; and her fair face, as themoonlight gleamed on it down through the leaves, was ghastly with suddenfear.
"Of--me!" he answered, with a mocking laugh that made her very blood runcold, as he continued: "I am tempted to kill you for your falsity, butnot yet!--that is, I will wait till I see how things turn out. Perhaps,"mockingly, "you will tell me if you expect to marry Lovelace Ellsworth?"
She faltered:
"No; he is engaged to my cousin."
"Are you speaking the truth?"
"Yes," she sobbed, nervously.
His midnight eyes flashed dangerously as he answered, menacingly:
"I hope that you are, and it will be well for you if you are, for, mindyou, Ela Craye, there is, as you say, no law to punish you for what youhave done to me, yet I mean to take justice into my own hands. You maynever be mine, but I swear no other man shall ever possess you. Rememberthis that I tell you now: In the hour that you wed another, there willbe murder done! Either your life or my rival's shall pay the forfeit forwhat you have done!"
"How dare you threaten me? Let me go! I--I--"
Ela began to sob hysterically, and then he caught her in his arms,clasping her fiercely, and kissing her in a sort of frenzy.
"One more kiss--for old time's sake! Do you remember how sweet our loveused to be, Ela? You shall never forget it! I seal the memory of it onyour brow with these last kisses fiery with my heart's passion! Nay, youdare not scream! The crowd would come rushing here, and you would notlike to have them find you here in my arms!"
But Ela's fear of him made her frantic, and she began to shriek, thoughhe stifled the sound with his kisses. Then sudden steps crashed throughthe undergrowth, and a man's tall form loomed up in the moonlight.
"What is that cry? Good heavens! Unhand that lady, you hound!" thunderedLove Ellsworth, rushing on the scene, and clutching Ashley with suchstrength that he released his hold and staggered back from his victim.
Instantly Ela clung wildly to his arm, sobbing fearfully.
"You are safe now; but--good heavens! that wretch is escaping!"exclaimed Ellsworth, regretfully, as, hindered by her hold, he beheldAshley making off into the woods, from whence the next minute a pistolshot whistled back, grazing Love's temple, and burying itself in thetree beyond.
A startled cry escaped him, and Ela wailed:
"Oh, that wretch! He has wounded you!"
"It is nothing--a mere scratch," he answered, a little nervously,putting his handkerchief to his brow to stanch a few drops of blood, ashe added: "But I had a narrow escape certainly. But why did you ventureso far from the light, Miss Craye? Your cousin has been searching foryou everywhere, and at last sent me to find you. I heard your smotheredshriek, and hastened to your assistance, just in time, it seemed. Wasthe fellow trying to rob you?"
"Yes," she faltered, nervously, glad of the pretext for hiding thetruth. "But he did not succeed, thanks to your timely appearance on thescene. I am very sorry I strayed so far away. I was tempted bymoonlight, and had not a thought of danger. Oh, believe me, I am verygrateful for your aid; I will never forget it."
"Let us go and relieve your cousin's anxiety," Love returned, leadingher away from the dark shadows of the trees back to the old churchagain, where the story of the dreadful highwayman created such asensation that the gathering was soon broken up, every one departing forhome, while many regrets were expressed that Miss Craye could notdescribe the appearance of her assailant clearly enough to lead to hisidentification.