CHAPTER XIV.
"DO NOT LEAVE ME, FOR YOU ARE THE DELIGHT AND SUNSHINE OF MY LONELYLIFE!"
The scene was one of such terror for Mrs. Varrick that she never forgotit.
"I shall leave this house!" he cried again. "I will not remain anotherhour beneath this roof. I will find Jessie Bain, though I have to travelthis wide earth over to do it!"
Suddenly he stopped short and looked at his mother; then he cried outexcitedly: "Where is the woman who came here with that embroidery-work?More likely it was she who took the bracelet."
But Mrs. Varrick shook her head.
"You forget that the bracelet was found in Jessie's trunk," she said,huskily, "and that she owned up to taking it in a written confession. Asfor the strange embroidery woman, Miss Duncan, I paid her off and lether go. She knows next to nothing of what took place in regard to thebracelet. You must remember, too, that the girl was glad to get off soeasily."
"Even though I _knew_ she was guilty, I could find forgiveness in myheart for her, mother," he cried, huskily, "for I love her-- I _love_her as man can love but once in his life-time. You arrayed yourself asher enemy, mother, and as such, you must be mine, until I can findlittle Jessie and bring her back to you."
"Oh, no, no, Hubert, darling!" cried Mrs. Varrick, striving to throw herarms about him, but almost before she was aware of his intention, he hadquitted the room, strode down the corridor, and was half-way down thewalk that led to the great entrance gate.
Varrick had walked a considerable distance from the house before hismind settled down to anything like rational thoughts. Suddenly itoccurred to him that the quickest way to trace her would be to securethe aid of an experienced detective. It was the merest chance that ledhim to the office of Henry Byrne, the great detective--the very onewhose services his mother had enlisted to recover her valuable bracelet.
It took but little conversation for the detective to learn that theyoung man was desperately in love with the pretty little girl. This gavethe experienced man of the world food for thought.
He did not tell young Varrick how interested he himself was in learningthe whereabouts of that pretty young girl.
After an hour or more of earnest conversation, they parted, Byrneagreeing to report what success he met at the hotel at which HubertVarrick said he intended stopping.
Up to midnight, when they again met, Byrne could give him no definiteinformation; he did not even tell him that he thought he had a slightclew which he intended to follow.
Thus three days passed, and not even the slightest trace of Jessie Baincould be discovered, and Hubert was beside himself with grief.
In the midst of his trouble a strange event happened.
As he was passing through the lobby of the hotel one evening, he metHarry Maillard, Gerelda Northrup's cousin.
Varrick turned quickly in an opposite direction, to avoid speaking tohim, when suddenly Maillard came forward and held out his hand to him.
"I am glad to see you, old boy," he said, "and have been wondering whereyou kept yourself of late."
"I have been attending to business pretty closely," returned Varrick.
"Take a cigar," said Maillard, extending a weed. "Let's sit down. I havesomething to tell you."
Varrick followed his friend, and soon they were seated together beforeone of the open windows.
"I have such wonderful news for you," said Maillard. "I learned fromCaptain Frazier's valet, whom I met on the street, that his master hadbeen dead some time, having been killed in a railway accident.
"Shortly after your unfortunate experience a great fire occurred in oneof the islands in the St. Lawrence, and Captain Frazier was there alone,and had been alone, the man informed me. There was no lady about--ofthis the valet was positive, and his last message to this man, who waswith him to the end, was to search for Gerelda Northrup, and tell herthat with his last breath he was murmuring her name, and that he wantedto be buried on the spot where they had first met.
"That is proof positive that Gerelda was not with Captain Frazier, andthat he, poor fellow, was entirely innocent of her whereabouts."
Hubert Varrick was greatly amazed at this intelligence; but before hecould make any remark Maillard went on quickly:
"We received a long letter from an old nurse who used to be in Gerelda'sfamily years ago. It was written at my cousin's dictation. She had beenvery ill, the letter says; and in it she goes on to tell the wonderfulstory of what caused her disappearance.
"She says that during your momentary absence for a glass of wine, shewas abducted by a daring robber, who wished to secure the diamonds shewore, and hold her as well for a heavy ransom; that, all in an instant,while she awaited your return, she was chloroformed, a black cloakthrown over her, and the last thing she was conscious of was being bornewith lightning-like rapidity down a ladder, a strong pair of burly armsencircling her.
"The night wind blowing on her face soon revived her; then she becameconscious that she was in a hack, and being rapidly driven along acountry road.
"'We are far enough away now,' she heard a voice say; and at that momentthe vehicle came to a sudden stop. She was lifted out, the stiflingfolds of the cloak were withdrawn from about her, the jewels she worewere torn from her ears and breast, and from the coils of her hair thediamond arrows, which fastened her bridal-veil, and the next instanther inhuman abductor, having secured the jewels, flung her into thedeep, dark, rushing river, then drove rapidly away, all heedless of herwild cries for help.
"A Canadian fisherman, happening along in his boat just when she wasgiving up the struggle for life rescued her. He took her to his humblecot and to his aged mother, and under that roof she lay, racked withbrain-fever, for many weeks.
"With the return of consciousness, she realized all that had transpired.
"Fearing the shock to you both, she had these people take her to an oldnurse who happened to live in that vicinity, and this woman soon broughther back to something like health and strength. Then Gerelda had thewoman write a long letter to me, telling me all, and bidding me breakthe news gently to her mother and you. The letter ends by saying:
"'By the time it was received she would be at home, and bid me hasten toyou with the wonderful intelligence, and bid you come to her quickly,for her heart was breaking for a sight of you--her betrothed; that shewas counting the moments until she was restored to you, and once moreresting safely in your dear arms.'
"I have been searching for you for some time, Hubert, to tell you ourdarling Gerelda is home once more. It was only by the merest chance thatsome one saw you enter this hotel and told me. I will be back in oneminute, depend upon it," said Maillard, seizing his hat and flying outof the door without waiting for a reply. In fact, Varrick could nothave made him any had his life depended on it.
In the midst of Hubert's conflicting thoughts, Maillard returned.
"This way, Varrick," he called cheerily from the door-way; and a momentlater Varrick was hurried into the coupe, which had just drawn up to thecurbstone, and, with Maillard seated beside him, was soon whirling inthe direction of the Northrup mansion to which a servant admitted them.
Maillard thrust aside the heavy satin _portieres_ of the drawing-room,gently pushed his friend forward, and Hubert felt the heavy silkendraperies close in after him. Through the half gloom he saw a slenderfigure flying toward him, and he heard a voice, the sound of which hadbeen dear to him in the old days that were past and gone, crying out:"Oh, Hubert! Hubert!" and in that instant Gerelda was in his arms.
Insensibly his arms closed around her; but there was no warmth in theembrace. She held up her lovely face to be kissed, and he bent hishandsome head and gave her the caress she coveted; but for him was goneall the old rapture that a kiss from those flower-like lips would havebrought. By Hubert Varrick, at this moment, it was given only from asense of duty, as love for Gerelda had died.
"Oh, Hubert, Hubert! my darling!" she cried, "is it not like heaven tobe united again?"
She would not
notice his coldness; for Gerelda Northrup had laid themost amazing plan that had ever entered a woman's head.
Immediately upon her dismissal from the Varrick mansion she had stolenback to the little hamlet where her old nurse lived, and had got thewoman to write a letter for her as she dictated it.
She had said to herself that Hubert Varrick should be hers again, atwhatever cost, and that she might as well force him by any means thatlay in her power into a betrothal with herself again, as long as he wasnot married to another.
He should never know that she knew of his change of heart. She wouldmeet him and greet him as her betrothed lover, whom she was soon tomarry, and he would have to be a much smarter man than she took him tobe if he could find any way out of it.
She had caused the nurse to write a similar letter to her mother; andwhen her mother read it, and realized that her daughter had not eloped,she received her back joyfully and with open arms. If an angel fromheaven had told her that her daughter had stolen back to the city indisguise, and had been residing under the Varrick roof, she would havedeclared that it was false--a mad prevarication.
Mrs. Northrup was overjoyed to have the sunshine of her home, herdarling daughter, back again.
With almost her first breath, after she had kissed her rapturously, shetold her that she had seen very little of Hubert Varrick, and that hehad never crossed the threshold since that fatal night on which hebelieved that his bride to be had eloped from him.