"And what good if I do? She"s n.o.body now--that is to any one but us.
What on earth is her name to you?"
"I think--I fear--ah, sir, she may be my own mother."
"What is your name?"
"Mason."
"That is not her name, anyhow; but the other name--is it Rose?"
"Yes, yes--Rose!"
"Not Rose Nelson?"
"No, no!"
"It"s of no use then: she"s nothing to you."
"Oh, if you would but let me speak with her! only look on her face!"
pleaded the poor girl, wild with the hopes his questions had raised.
"I could not do it. It is against the doctor"s orders. Company is worse than any thing."
"Is she ill?"
He now looked on her with contemptuous astonishment.
"You call yourself her daughter, and don"t know that?"
"Oh, sir, this is cruel! I have not had a letter or heard from her in nearly seven years! I never knew that this had been her home till within a week; and now you will not let me even look at her!"
The poor girl began to sob and wring her hands. The idea that she was so close by her mother, whom she was forbidden to look upon, overwhelmed her with anguish.
The man seemed touched. "Wait a moment," he said, "I will talk with Mrs.
Brown about it. I command the house, but she has charge of the lady."
After this concession, the man went away, leaving Rose seated upon one of the hall chairs, breathless and anxious, for every moment convinced her more and more that she was in the house with her mother.
The man was absent some time. Suspense became intolerable to that young heart. She arose and walked the hall, but the noise of her own footsteps became irksome, as it prevented her listening to the first sound of his approach. She stood still and held her breath. Would he never return?
What if he had seemed to relent only to escape her importunity? She started. Yes, yes--there was a sound--a footstep--lighter than his, though--a woman"s footstep, accompanied with the rustle of silk and a perfume that penetrated pleasantly to her senses, a perfume that she recognized, and grew faint from the consciousness.
Trembling in all her limbs, she stood still, with her eyes penetrating the distance. There was a perpetual twilight in that house. The blinds were all closed, and in some places heavy shutters made the darkness complete. Thus the figure which advanced upon Rose, from what seemed a large drawing-room, moved vaguely through the dusk of the dwelling. It was a lady in full dress, sweeping through the rooms in quick haste, and huddling something to her bosom.
CHAPTER LXXV.
THE MANIAC"S TOILET.
Rose Mason caught her breath. It was her mother. She knew the face, and that proud, sweeping walk. Wild as the face was--rapid as the walk had become--she could not mistake them.
The woman saw her standing in the hall, and came eagerly forward.
"I have found them--I have found them," she cried, breathlessly. "What is an empress without her jewels? They don"t understand these things--but you, my maid of honor, know better. They told me that you and all the court would keep away. That was to persuade me from wearing these; but I have got them safe--come, come, we must make haste, or force the people to wait, which should never be. My hair is to be braided yet--come this way--this way."
Rose followed her, pale as death, heart-stricken from that moment. The woman entered the little breakfast room, where we have seen her before.
It was not much changed; the sumptuous appointments had faded somewhat by time, but they retained all their elegance. In spite of her agitation, Rose remarked that behind the rich window draperies were immovable blinds of iron, deceptive, but firm as prison bars. Through the lattices of these blinds, sufficient light came to fill the room, and now Rose saw her mother clearly. Alas! the change! That beautiful face was worn and troubled; the splendid eyes were full of eager fire; the mouth was always in motion; and the whole aspect vigilant, as if her fears were eternally upon the watch.
"Come," she said, throwing herself into an easy chair, and arranging the folds of a purple brocade dress, with an exaggeration of her old, queenly grace, after she had placed the heavy bronze box, which she had carried, on an ottoman by her side, "come, put them on quick, before they break up my toilet--go to work--go to work."
With eager wildness, she s.n.a.t.c.hed the comb from her hair and shook its long tresses over her shoulders. Rose saw that there was scarcely a dark thread in the ma.s.s, and her eyes filled with tears.
"What are you crying for?" asked her mother, sharply. "It is only powdered pearls that my people dust over my hair morning and night!
Cleopatra, she was queen of Egypt, you know, and beautiful as I am--she drank her pearls in vinegar; I grind mine! Now braid away! braid away!"
Rose took the heavy tresses which the woman tossed into her hands, and, for a moment, her trembling fingers wandered among them, in vague efforts at obedience, but all at once her strength gave way, and dropping into a chair, she burst into a pa.s.sion of tears.
Her mother started up fiercely, coiled the hair around her head in a rude crown, and dashed the lid of the bronze box open. Rose knew the gleam of those jewels, and shuddered. The woman tore the diamonds from their satin cushions, and began to huddle them in ma.s.ses upon her arms and bosom. She then proceeded to tangle them in her gray hair, looking at her daughter with fierce reproach all the time.
Rose made a motion to arise--her mother saw it, and shut the box suddenly.
"Don"t touch them! don"t dare to touch them! Do you know how much they cost?"
The young girl retreated, pale and trembling.
"I bought them," cried the mother, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, "with my soul and body--soul and body! Understand that! But the fiend cheated me, and kept back the price!--treasures! gold! gold! gold! He hid it! but I kept these! They were the first price! It was putting them here where my little Rose used to sleep! and here where they burn like hot coals--that brought Mason back with those eyes----"
The woman laid a hand upon her bosom, and swept it across her forehead as she spoke, while poor Rose began to weep bitterly, as she heard her own sweet name uttered, for the first time in years, by those insane lips.
"No wonder you cry," said the woman. "It"s enough to break one"s heart!
Loads and loads of money hid away, and no finding it! I"ve searched, and searched, and searched; but it"s of no use! They lock the door and chain the windows; but there is a place!"
She paused, drew close to Rose, and bending down, whispered in her ear:
"The south wing; he was always there; always brooding over something in that room with one door and iron shutters. Once I saw a hole in the floor--an open half-moon--just under my feet. It closed up, and I forgot it till Mason came, and they began to lock the doors; then I thought and thought, such fiery hot thoughts, and up came that open half-moon from the marble floor! Oh, if I could but get there! Say, couldn"t you draw the bolts? They hurt my hands! they hurt my hands!"
The poor creature shook her head, and wrung her hands, with tears and moans, piteous to hear.
Rose took the poor struggling hands in hers.
"Oh, mother! mother!" she cried out.
The woman stopped wringing her hands, and bent her wild eyes on the young girl"s face.
"Rose had sweet eyes--my little Rose. She was so pretty--handsome almost as her mother. But what is the use of beauty if it cannot bring gold from its hiding-places? I like that face; there are emeralds and sapphires in the box. Besides, I have lovely pink coral that the queen of Naples gave me on my coronation. You shall wear them sometimes, for I love you for looking like little Rose. There, you may kiss my hand."