One instant more and a wild, hoa.r.s.e cry in Varrick"s voice echoed through the place.
The room was empty! Where was Gerelda? There was no means of exit from that room save the door by which he had entered. Perhaps she had leaned from the window and fallen out. He rushed quickly to it and glanced down, with a wild prayer to Heaven to give him strength to bear what he might see lying on the ground below. But instead of a white, upturned face, and a shimmering heap of satin and lace, he beheld a ladder, which was placed close against the window; and half-way down upon it, caught firmly upon one of the rounds, he beheld a torn fragment of lace, which he instantly recognized as part of Gerelda"s wedding veil.
He could neither move nor speak. The sight held him spell-bound. By this time 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 Captain Frazier," she whispered.
"Hush!" cried Varrick. "I know it, I believe it, but no one must know. I see it all. She repented of marrying me at the eleventh hour, and ere it was too late she fled with the lover who must have awaited her, in an agony 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 immediately there was a stampede out toward the grounds.
In the excitement of the moment no one noticed that Hubert Varrick and Mrs. Northrup were left behind.
"Help me to bear this dreadful burden, Hubert!" she sobbed, hoa.r.s.ely. "I think I am going mad. I thank G.o.d that Gerelda"s father did not live to see this hour!"
Great as her grief was, the anguish on the face which Hubert Varrick raised to hers was pitiful to behold.
She was terrified. She saw that he needed comfort quite as much as herself.
The minister, who had entered the room un.o.bserved, had heard all. He quitted the apartment as quickly as he had entered it, and hurried through the corridor to his friend Doctor Roberts.
"The greatest blessing you could do, doctor, would be to come to him quickly, and give him a potion that will make him dead to his trouble for a little while."
CHAPTER III.
"WHEN THOSE WE LOVE DRIFT AWAY FROM US THEY ARE NEVER THE SAME AGAIN-- THEY NEVER COME BACK."
"Only a heart that"s broken, That is, if hearts can break; Only a man adrift for life, All for a woman"s sake.
Your love was a jest--I now see it-- Now, though it"s rather late; Yes, too late to turn my life And seek another fate."
Although search was instantly inst.i.tuted for the missing bride-elect, not the slightest trace of her could be discovered.
Was she Hubert Varrick"s bride or not? There was great diversity of opinion about that. Many contended that she _was not_, because the words from the minister: "Now I p.r.o.nounce you man and wife," _had not yet been uttered_.
No wonder the beauty had found it difficult to choose between handsome Hubert Varrick and the dashing captain.
Varrick was a millionaire, and Captain Frazier could easily write out his check for an equal amount.
The matter was hushed up quickly, and kept so quiet that even the simple village folk at Alexandria Bay never knew of the thrilling event that had taken place in their very midst at the Crossmon Hotel. If the simple fisher-folk had but known of it, a tragedy might have been averted.
Mrs. Northrup was the first to recover from the shock; grief gave place to the most intense anger, and as she paced the floor excitedly to and fro, she vowed to herself that she would never forgive Gerelda for bringing this disgrace upon her.
With Varrick the blow had been too severe, too terrible, to be so easily gotten over. When morning broke, he still lay, face downward, on the couch upon which he had thrown himself. The effects of the sleeping potion they had so mercifully administered to him had worn off, and he was face to face once more with the great sorrow of his life.
They brought him a tempting breakfast, but he sent it away untasted. He sent at once for one of the call-boys.
"Buy me a ticket for the first steamer that goes out," he said. "I do not care where it goes or what its destination is; all I want is to get away."
Still the boy lingered.
"Well," said Varrick, "why do you wait?"
"I had something to tell you sir."
"Go on," said Varrick.
"There is a young girl down in the corridor who insists upon seeing you, sir. I told her it was quite useless, you would not see her; and then she fell into pa.s.sionate weeping, sobbing out that you _must_, if but for a moment, and that she would not go until she had spoken with you, if she had to remain there all day."
"Where is she?"
"In the corridor without, sir."
Varrick crossed the room and stepped out into the corridor. He saw a little figure standing in the dim, shaded light.
She saw him at the same moment, and ran toward him with a little cry, flinging herself with a great sob at his feet.
"Oh, Mr. Varrick!" she cried.
"Why, it"s little Jessie Bain!" he exclaimed in wonder, forgetting for the time being his own misery.
"It"s just as you said it would be, sir--they have turned me out of the house. And you said, Mr. Varrick, if they ever did that, to be sure and come straight to you--and here I am!"
Varrick"s amazement knew no bounds.
What should he do with this girl who was thrust so unceremoniously on his hands.
"If it had not been for you and your kind words, I should have flung myself in the St. Lawrence," continued the girl, "for I was so desperate. How kind Heaven was to send you to me to help me in my hour of greatest need, Mr. Varrick."
"Come into the parlor and let us talk this matter over," said Varrick.
"Yes, I will surely help you. I will go and see your uncle this very day."
"I would not go to him," cried the girl. "I swear to you I would not!
When I tell you this, you will not wonder that I refuse. In his rage, because I came home so late last night, he shot at me. The ball pa.s.sed within a hair"s-breadth of my heart, for which it was intended, and the powder burned my arm--see!"
Hubert Varrick was horror-stricken. The little arm was all blackened with smoke, and burned with the powder. There was need for a doctor here at once.
"If I went back to him he would kill me," the girl sobbed. "Oh! do not send me back, Mr. Varrick. Let me stay here where you are.
"You are the only being in the whole wide world who has ever spoken kindly to me. I can do quite as much for you as I did for my uncle. I can mend your clothes, see about your meals, and read the papers to you, and--"