CHAPTER II.
FATE IS AGAINST SOME PEOPLE, FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE.
Change is the law of wind and moon and lover-- And yet I think, lost Love, had you been true, Some golden fruits had ripened for your plucking You will not find in gardens that are new.
L. C. M.
When Gerelda Northrup bid Captain Frazier good-night, and linked her armwithin her mother's, and retired to their apartments, Mrs. Northrupcould not help notice how carefully her daughter guarded the greatcrimson beauty rose she wore on her breast.
The mother also noticed that the handsome captain wore a bud of the samekind in the lapel of his coat.
"My dear," she said, "I think you are going a little too far withCaptain Frazier. It will not do to flirt with him on the very eve ofyour marriage with Hubert Varrick."
"There isn't the least bit of harm in it, mamma," Gerelda answered."Captain Frazier is a delightful companion. Why shouldn't I enjoy hissociety?"
"Because it is playing with edged tools," declared Mrs. Northrup. "Thecaptain is desperately in love with you."
"You should not blame him for lingering by my side to the very lastmoment."
"Trouble will come of it, I fear," returned the other. "He is always atyour side."
"Save your lecture until to-morrow. I am sure it will keep. Do pleasering the bell for my maid; it is nearly eleven o'clock, and I must notlose my beauty-sleep."
Gerelda Northrup knew in her own mind that all her mother said was buttoo true; but the spirit of coquetry was so deeply imbedded in hernature that she would not resign her sceptre over her old lovers' heartsuntil the last moment.
Of course the captain understood thoroughly that all her love was givento Hubert Varrick, and that it was only a very mild flirtation withhimself she was indulging in.
She would have trembled could she have read the thoughts of CaptainFrazier at that very moment.
In his elegant apartment, at the further end of the corridor, thecaptain was pacing the floor, wild with his own thoughts.
"My God! can I live through it?" he muttered. "How can I live and endureit? How can I stand by and see the girl I love made another man's bride,without the mad desire to slay him overpowering me? If I would not havethe crime of murder on my soul, I must leave this place to-night, andnever look upon Gerelda's beautiful face again. One day more of thiswould drive me mad. Great Heaven! why did I linger by her side when Iknew my danger? There are times when I could almost swear that Gereldacares quite as much for me as she does for Hubert Varrick. If I had hada fair chance I think I could have won her from him. No, I will not seeher again-- I will leave here this very night."
The captain rang the bell furiously, and called for a brandy and soda.
Soon after he left the hotel, saying that he would send for his luggagelater.
But even after he had done all that, Captain Frazier stood motionless inthe grounds watching the darkened windows of Gerelda's room.
The fire in his brain, produced by the potion he had taken, made sadhavoc with his imagination. He thought of how the knights of old didwhen the girls they loved were about to wed rivals.
Was he less brave than they? And he thought, standing there under thenight sky, how cleverly the gypsy had outwitted Blue-beard at the veryaltar to which he had led his blushing brides.
Great was Miss Northrup's consternation the next morning when shelearned through a little note left for her that Captain Frazier hadtaken his departure from the Crossmon Hotel the preceding night. A sighof relief fell from her red lips.
"Perhaps it is better so," she said.
A messenger who brought a great basket of orchids and white roses,entered.
Hidden among the flowers, Gerelda found a little note in Varrick'shandwriting:
"I hope my darling rested well. Heaven has made the day beautifulbecause it is our marriage morn."
It was an odd notion of Gerelda's to steal away from their elegant citymansion and her dear five hundred friends, to have the ceremonyperformed quietly up at the Thousand Islands, with only a select few towitness it.
Great preparations had been made in the hotel for the approachingmarriage. The spacious private parlors to be used were perfect fairybowers of roses and green leaves.
Up to this very morning Miss Northrup's imported wedding-gown had notarrived. Mrs. Northrup and Hubert Varrick were wild with anxiety andimpatience over the affair. Gerelda alone took the matter calmly.
"It will be here some time to-day," she averred. "The wedding will bedelayed but a few hours, after all, and I don't know but that I preferan evening wedding to a morning one, anyhow."
It was almost dark ere the long-looked-for bridal _trousseau_ arrived.Varrick drew a great breath of relief.
He welcomed the shadows of night with the greatest joy. He neverafterward remembered how he lived until the hour of eight rolled round.
He had not long to wait in the little anteroom where she was to joinhim. The few invited guests who were so fortunate as to receiveinvitations were all present.
A low murmur of admiration ran around that little group as the heavysilken _portieres_ that separated the anteroom from the reception parlorwere drawn aside, and Hubert Varrick entered with the beautiful heiressleaning on his arm.
In her gloved right hand she carried a prayer-book of pearl and gold. Amessenger had brought it, handing it to her just as she was about toenter the anteroom.
"It is from an unknown friend," whispered the boy, so low that evenVarrick did not catch the words. "A simple wish accompanies it," the boywent on, "and that is, when the ceremony is but just begun, you willraise the little book to your lips for the sake of the unknown friendwho sends it to you."
Gerelda smiled and promised, thoughtlessly enough, that she wouldcomply.
"Are you ready, my darling?" said Hubert.
His thoughts were so confused at the time, that he had paid little heedto the messenger or noticed what he had brought to Gerelda, or whattheir conversation was about, or that the boy fled like a dark-wingedshadow down the corridor after he had executed his errand.
She took her place by his side. Ah! how proud he was of her superbbeauty, of her queenly carriage, and her haughty demeanor! Surely shewas a bride worth winning--a queen among girls!
Slowly and solemnly the marriage ceremony began. Varrick answeredpromptly and clearly the questions put to him. Then the minister turnedto the slender, staturesque figure by his side.
"Will you take this man to be your lawful, wedded husband, to love,honor, and obey him till death do you part?" he asked.
At that moment all assembled thought they heard a low, muffled whistle.
Before making answer, Gerelda raised the beautiful pearl and goldprayer-book and kissed it.
She tried to speak the words: "I will;" but all in an instant her lipsgrew stiff and refused to utter them.
No sound save a low gasp broke the terrible stillness.
She had kissed the little prayer-book as she had so laughingly andthoughtlessly promised to do, ere she uttered the words that would makeher Hubert Varrick's wife. And what had happened to her? She was gaspingfor breath--dying!
The little book fell unheeded at her feet, and her head droopedbackward.
With a great cry, Hubert Varrick caught her.
"It is only a momentary dizziness," said Varrick, half leading, halfcarrying her into the anteroom and up to the window, and throwing openthe sash.
"Rest here, my darling, while I fetch you a glass of water," he said, ashe placed her in a chair and rushed from the room.
The event just narrated had happened so suddenly that Mrs. Northrup andthose in the outer apartment were for the time being fairly dazed,unable to move or stir.
And by the time they had recovered their senses Hubert had reappearedwith a glass of water in his hand.
Mrs. Northrup was too excited to leave her seat; but the rest followedquickly on Hubert's heels to the anteroom.
One instant more and a
wild, hoarse cry in Varrick's voice echoedthrough the place.
The room was empty! Where was Gerelda? There was no means of exit fromthat room save the door by which he had entered. Perhaps she had leanedfrom the window and fallen out. He rushed quickly to it and glanceddown, with a wild prayer to Heaven to give him strength to bear what hemight see lying on the ground below. But instead of a white, upturnedface, and a shimmering heap of satin and lace, he beheld a ladder, whichwas placed close against the window; and half-way down upon it, caughtfirmly upon one of the rounds, he beheld a torn fragment of lace, whichhe instantly recognized as part of Gerelda's wedding veil.
He could neither move nor speak. The sight held him spell-bound. By thistime Mrs. Northrup reached his side.
"Oh! I might have known it, I might have guessed it!" she wildly cried,clutching at Varrick's arm. "She must have eloped with--with CaptainFrazier," she whispered.
"Hush!" cried Varrick. "I know it, I believe it, but no one must know. Isee it all. She repented of marrying me at the eleventh hour, and ere itwas too late she fled with the lover who must have awaited her, in anagony of suspense, outside."
All the guests had gathered about them.
"Where is Miss Gerelda?" they all cried in a breath.
"She must have fallen from the window," they echoed; and immediatelythere was a stampede out toward the grounds.
In the excitement of the moment no one noticed that Hubert Varrick andMrs. Northrup were left behind.
"Help me to bear this dreadful burden, Hubert!" she sobbed, hoarsely. "Ithink I am going mad. I thank God that Gerelda's father did not live tosee this hour!"
Great as her grief was, the anguish on the face which Hubert Varrickraised to hers was pitiful to behold.
She was terrified. She saw that he needed comfort quite as much asherself.
The minister, who had entered the room unobserved, had heard all. Hequitted the apartment as quickly as he had entered it, and hurriedthrough the corridor to his friend Doctor Roberts.
"The greatest blessing you could do, doctor, would be to come to himquickly, and give him a potion that will make him dead to his troublefor a little while."