Then there commenced the greatest battle between Good and Evil that ever was fought in a human heart. Should she save her rival, the girl whom Hubert Varrick loved, or by her silence doom her to life-long misery?
While she was battling, Jessie smiled, murmuring in a low voice: "Isn"t it too bad, Miss Duncan, that Hubert--Mr. Varrick, I mean--should be away from home just at this critical time?"
Miss Duncan"s face hardened, and all the kindliness in her nature suddenly died out.
The arrival, a little later, of the detective was a relief to every one.
Mrs. Varrick hastily explained to him what had occurred, and her reason for supposing that the theft of the diamond bracelet had been accomplished by some one in the house.
"Such a suspicion is, of course, very painful to me," she said; "but under the circ.u.mstances I think it is better for the satisfaction of all concerned that I should accept the offer made by my servants, and request you to search their apartments. Miss Duncan, and Miss Jessie Bain, my son"s ward, will, just for form"s sake, undergo the same unpleasant ordeal."
"Must I have my room searched, too?" asked Jessie Bain.
"Is there any reason why you should object?" asked Mrs. Varrick.
"No," answered Jessie, lifting her beautiful, innocent blue eyes to the face of Hubert"s mother; "there is no reason, only--only--"
Here she stopped short, the color coming and going on her lovely face, and a frightened look creeping about her quivering mouth.
"I have no objection," she repeated, "to having everything in my room searched; but, oh! it seems so terrible to have to do it!"
"Do your duty, sir," said Mrs. Varrick, turning to the detective.
She and the detective left the morning-room together, and they were all startled at the sound of the key turning in the lock as the door closed after them. Half an hour, an hour, and at length a second hour dragged slowly by.
Suddenly in the silence that had fallen upon the inmates of the morning-room they caught the distant sound of the detective"s deep voice and the rustle of Mrs. Varrick"s silk dress coming down the corridor.
Mrs. Varrick and the detective advanced to the center of the room, then she stopped suddenly.
"As you see," she commenced, in a high, shrill voice "the bracelet has been unearthed and the thief discovered. I shall not prolong this painful scene a moment longer than is absolutely necessary. Suffice it to say, the girl I have befriended has robbed me.
"The bracelet was found by the detective in the little hair trunk of Jessie Bain. You will all please leave the room, all save Miss Bain."
They all rose from their seats, and there was a great babble of voices.
As in a dream, Jessie saw them all file slowly out of the room, each one casting that backward look of horror upon her as they went. The door closed slowly after Miss Duncan; then she was alone with the detective and Mrs Varrick, Hubert"s mother.
"There are no words that I can find to express to you, Jessie Bain, my amazement and sorrow," she began, "at this, the evidence of your guilt."
"Oh, Mrs. Varrick!" gasped Jessie, finding breath at last, though her head seemed to reel with the horror of the situation, "by all that I hold dear in this world, believe me, I am not guilty. I swear to you I did not take your bracelet; I know as little of the theft as an unborn babe!"
Mrs. Varrick drew herself up haughtily.
"The detective wishes me to give you up to the law, to cast you into prison, but I can not quite make up my mind to do it. Now listen.
Because of my son"s interest in you, I will spare you on one condition, and that is, that you leave this place within the hour, and go far away--so far that you will never again see any one who might know you; least of all, my son. His anger against you would be terrible."
All in vain Jessie threw herself at her feet, protesting over and over again her innocence, and calling upon G.o.d and the angels to bear witness to the truth of what she said.
The detective had been pacing up and down the room, an expression of the deepest concern on his face.
He noted that instead of being glad to get off so easily from a terrible affair that would cost her many a year behind grim prison walls, this girl"s agonizing cry was that she should remain there and prove her innocence to Hubert Varrick.
Surely, he thought, there must be some way of doing so. But Mrs. Varrick was inexorable.
The girl"s lovely head was bowed to the very earth.
"Have pity on me," moaned Jessie Bain, "and show me mercy!"
"I will give you ten minutes to decide your future," was Mrs. Varrick"s heartless reply.
When the ten minutes had elapsed, Mrs. Varrick rose majestically to her feet.
CHAPTER XII.
OUT IN THE COLD, BLEAK WORLD!
"No doubt you have decided ere this what course you intend to pursue,"
said Mrs. Varrick sternly.
"I-- I will do whatever you wish," sobbed the girl; "but oh! let me plead with you to let me stay here until Mr. Varrick returns!"
Mrs. Varrick"s face grew livid in spots with anger, but by a splendid effort she managed to control herself before the detective. She turned to him.
"Will you kindly step into an inner room, and there await the conclusion of this conference?" she asked.
He bowed courteously and complied with her request. When Mrs. Varrick found herself alone with the girl, she made little effort to conceal her hatred.
"Why do you wish to see my son?" she asked, harshly. "To try to get him to condone the atrocious wrong of which you have been guilty? Your audacity amazes me!"
"I have said that I am innocent!" said the girl, and she rose slowly to her feet.
"Never, with my consent, will he ever speak to you again! Do you hear me? I would curse him if he did.
"And it would not stop at that," went on Mrs. Varrick. "I would cut him off without a dollar, and turn him into the streets a beggar! That would soon bring him to his senses. Ay, I would do all that and more, if he were even to speak to you again. So you can see for yourself the position you would place him in by holding the least conversation with him."
"He shall not suffer because of me!" sobbed Jessie Bain. "I will go away and never look upon his face again. I only wanted to tell him to believe me. I am going, Mrs. Varrick, out into the cold and bitter world from which he took me. Try to think of me as kindly as you can!"
With this, she turned and walked slowly from the room. On the threshold she paused and turned back.
"Will you say to him--to your son, I mean--that I am very grateful for all that he has done for me," she asked, "and that if the time ever comes when I can repay it, I will do so? Tell him I would give my life, if I could only serve him!"
"One moment," said the lady, as she was about to close the door: "I do not wish to send you away empty-handed."
As she spoke she drew a purse from her pocket, saying:
"You will find this well filled. There is only one condition I make in giving it to you, and that is, that you sign a written agreement that you will never seek or hold any communication with my son hereafter."