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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1887-5-27, Page 7MAY 27, 1S8, 112MCWraa MIR ACTRESS' DIUNIFITIN ort TEE MISTRESS OS' MONOND MUM .►srAlale OF WHOM.; ANR nieeil/lIN1R, By Mrs. M.AY AGNES FLEMING, Anther o1''• Leet For n Waren! ," werweer rewire Accrete' Fie., Ere mond, the next it was gone, aril Georgia saw him, smiling and gay, Bet off with the rest on their skating exonrsion. The dinner hour was past before they arrived. Georgia had spent a pleasanter morning than she had for many a day, and there was somothiug almost like cheerfulness in her tone as she addressed some question to her husband after his return. 1Io did nob reply, but burned on her a look, a terrible look, that sent her sick and faint back in her seat, and then without a word he passed on and was gone. That look was destined to overthrow all Georgia's now -found calmness for that day. She scarcelyunderstood d stood. a what hacaused it. Srely he must have known she was ill, she thought, and nob fitted to join in an excursion like that, and surely ho could not be angry at her for staying at home while too sick to go out. Feeling that the gayety of the drawing -room that oven - nag was like "vinegar upon nitre's to her feelings, she quitted it and passed out into the long hall. The moon was shining brightly through the glass sides of the door, and she leaned her burning forehead against the cold panes and looked out at the bright stars shining down on the placid earth. There was a rustle of garments behind her, a soft, oat -like step she know too well, and turning round sho saw the hateful face with its baleful smile fixed upon her. A flash of indignation covered her pale face. Could she not move a stop without being dogged by this creature? "Well, Mrs. Georgia," began Freddy, with a sneer. "I hope you had a pleas- ant time today with the gay sailor." Georgia clinched her hands and set her teeth hard together to keep down her rising passion. "Leave me!" she said, with an im- perious stamp. Oh, just let me stay a little while," said Freddy, jeeringly. "What con- fidence he must have in you to make an appointment in the very face of your husband 2" "Will you leave me?" "Not just yet, my dear cousin," Freddy said, smiling up in her face. "What a romantic thing it would be if we were to have an elopement in real life—how delightful it would be, wouldn't it 2" Georgia's face grow ghastly, even to her lips, and her whole frame shook with the storm of passion raging within, Freddy saw ,it, and exulted in her power. How delightfully jealous Richmond is, to be sure, of his pauper bride and her sailor lover; how his friends will talk when they go back to the city—and how Mrs. Wildair, of Richmond Hall, who is too much of a fool ever to know how to carry out an intrigue properly, will be laughed at. Ha 1 he, 1 ha 1 what de- licious scenes have boon witnessed hero since we came, to be sure." What demon was it leaped into Georgia's eyes at that moment—what meant that awful, calm, and terrible look ? "How will it read in the papers ? 'We are pained to learn that the young and beautiful wife of Richmond Wildair, Esq., of Burufield, eloped last night. Tho gay Adonis is Captain Arlingford, U. S. N., who was, wo believe, the honored who of the wronged husband. Mr. Wildair has pursued tho guilty couple, and a duel will probably bo the consequence of this sad affair.' Ha! ha! What do you think of myima in• a � f; ation, Georgia 7' No reply ; but, oh 1 that dreadful look 1 "Oh, the insolence of earth -worms like you," continued Freddy, in her bitter gibing tone, "to darn to lift your eyes to ono who would have honored you too much by letting you wipe the dust off his shoes. You, the parish pauper:, reared by the bounty of a wretched old hag you, the child of a strolling player, who died on the road- side like a dog—you, tho—" But she never finished the sentence. With tho awful shriek of a demon—a shriek that those who heard could never forget, Georgia sprang upon her, caught her by the throat, and hurled her with the strength of madness against the wall. With a faint cry, strangled in its birth, Freddy held up her hands to save herself ; but sho was as a child in the fierce grasp of the woman sho had in. furiated. Ere the last cadence of that terrible shriek had ceased ringing through the house, every one, servants, guests and all, were on the spot. And there they saw Georgia standing like an incarnate fury, and Frederica Richmond lying Motionless on the ground, her face de- luged in blood. CRATER XVII. WW1. ''Oh, break, broak bourtl poor bankrupt, broak. at one:'--Snesasrnena, "lroak, break, break, At thio foot of thy crags, O seal net the tender grace of tho clay teat le dead Will novo]: come hack to me.' —TaxxgYeoxi. There was an instantdoath'liko pause, and all gazed, white with horror, on the scene before tlreni. Freddy lay perfectly motionless, and Georgia, terrific'in her roused wrath, stood ever her lute some dark priestess of doom. Not a voioe dared to break the dreadful silence until Richmond Wildair, with a face from which every trace of Dolor had faded, and with a terrible light in his eyes, strode over and caught Georgia by the arm. "Woman 1 bond ? what have you clone 2" ho said, hoarsely. Size looked up, wrenched her arm free from his grasp, sprang back and dauut- lessly confronted him. "Given her the reward for which she SO long lute boon laboring," she said, in El voice awful from its very depth of calm. Ilis grasp tightened on bor area tight- ened till a black circle discolored the skin; his eyes were fixed on her with a (heedful look ; but, with the tempest ewoepiug through her soul, she felt not his grasp, she heeded not his look. "Yes," she said, folding her arms and looking clown steadily at the sensoless figure. "I have taught her what it is to drive mo to desperation. A worm will turn when it is crushed, and I—oh I what I have endured in silence 1 And now let all beware !" she said, raising her voice almost to a shriek, "for if I must go clown, 1 shall drag down with mo all who have acted a part in my misery. Stand back, Richmond Wildair! for I shall be your slave no longer I" Not one there but actually quailed be- fore the dark passionate glance bent up- on them, save Richmond. Some Roman father about to sacrifice his dearest child on the altar of duty might have looked as terribly stern, as ominously rigid and calm as ho did then. Without a word he strode over and grasped both her wrists in his vise -like hold, and looked full and steadily in her wild, flashing oyes. "Georgia," ho said, "tomo with me." She strove again to wrench herself free, but this time sho could not ; leo hold her fast, and met her flashing, de. fent gaze with ono of steady, immovable oaten. "You had bettor come. Irlo not wish to use force. If you do not come quietly you will bo sorry for it." His glance, far more than his words or voice, was conquering her. He felt the rigid muscles relax, and the fierce glance dying out before his own, and a convulsive shiver pass though her slight frame. Come, Georgia," he said, drawing her toward the parlor; "dangerous maniacs should not bo allowed to go at largo. You will remain here until I come to you." He opeuedthe door, .let her in, then came out, turned the key in the lock, and put it in his pocket. All this had passed nearly in a mo- ment. Tho others, spell -bound, had stood rooted to the ground, their oyes fixed on Georgia and Richmond, almost forgetting the very presence of Freddy. Now he wont over and raised her from the floor. Her arms hung lifeless by her side, her head fell over its arm, and a dark stream of blood flowed from a frightful wound in her forehead and trickled over her ghastly face. A. universal shriek from the ladies fol. lowed the sight, and some, overcome by seeing blood, swooned on the spot. Un- heeding them all, Richmond made his way through the horrified group, enter- ed the drawing -room, laid his burden 00 one of the sofas, ancl, seiziug the bell. rope, rang a peal that brought half a dozen servants rushing iu at once. "Hero, one of you bring me some water and a spougo instiintly; and you, Ed- wards, be off for Dr. Fairleigh. Run 1 fly! lose not a moment." The loan darted off. Richmond, wot- ting the spougo, began carefully to wipe away the blood and bathe her temples, while the others gathered around, not daring to break the deep silence by a single word. There was something startling in Richmond Wildafr's face— something no one had over seen thero before, underlying all its outward calm —something in its still, dark sternness that overawed all. In ten minutes the doctor arrived and proceeded to examine the wound, while all present held their very breath in ex- portation.Richmond stood with his arms folded over his chest during those momouts of suspense, motionless as a figure of granite ; but the knotted velum standing out clack and swollen ou his brow, his labored breathing, and the convulsive clenching of his hands be. spoke the agony of suspeuse he was undergoing. "Well, doctor," ho said, huskily, when the physician arose, "will—will sho die 2" "Diel pooh! No, of course she won't! What wouicl she die for ?" said the doc- tor, a jolly little individual; rejoicing in a very bald head and a pair of very bandy legs ; "it's nothing but a scratch, man alive ! nothing more. We'll clap a piece of sticking -plaster on and have her all alive like a bag of grasshoppers in no time. Die, indeed! I think 1 see her at it." And so saying, the little man drew the edges of the wound together, applied sundry pieces of court -plaster, and then pronounced the job finished. "And now to bring her to," said the little dootor,proceedmg to give the palms of her hands an energetio sapping; "and meantime, my dear sir, how in the world did she manage,to smash herself up in this fashion ?" Richmond did not reply. The sudden reaction from torturing fears to perfect safety was too much even for him, and ho stood at tho window, his forehead bowed on his hand, his hard, stifled breathing distinctly audible in the silent room. "Hoy 1" said the little doctor, looking up in surprise at this emotion. "Lord bless my soul! You didn't suppose she eves going to die, really, did you! Well, well 1 well, well! the ignorance of pee. I pie is wonderful 1 How did it happen, I good folks 2" said the doctor, malting no THE E3R.USSELS POST attempt to hide !hie curiosity, "Au accident, sir," said Colonel Glee. son, stiffly. "Hem I ha I an accident 1" said the doctor, musingly; "wale accidents will happen in timber; of families, they say. Don't ba alarmed, Squire Wildair ; the young woman will be around as lively ad a cricket in a day or two. More, she's coming to, already," While he spoke there was is consul• sive twitching around t'roddy's mouth, a fluttering of the pulse, and the next moment she opened her oyes and gazed vaguely around. "Here you are, all alive and kinking, rearm," said the talkative little country Galen ; "no harm done, you know. Hand us a glass of water, somebody," The water effectuallyrestoredFreddy, who was able to sit up and gaze about her with a bewildered air. "My dearest Freddy, how do you feel? My darling girl, are you better 2" said Mrs. Wildair, folding her in her arms. "Of course she's better, marm," said the doctor, rubbing his hands gleefully; "night as over so many trivets. There's a picture for you," he added, appealing to the company generally, "family affec- tion's a splendid thing, and should be encouraged at any price. Let her keep ou a low diet, and she'll be as well, if not considerably butter than over, in two or throe days. Might have been killed dead as a herring, though, if she had struck her temple, instead of up there." What's your fee, doctor 7" said Mr. Wildair, in a cold, stern tone, and a face to match, as he abruptly crossed over to whore he stood. "Dollar," said tho doctor, rubbing his halide with a joyous little chuckle— "court plaster—visit—advice—" "There it is—good evening, sir. Ed- ward, show Dr. Fairloigh to the door," said Mr. Wildair, frigidly. "Good evening, good evening," said the bustling little man, hurrying out. "Al- ways send for me whenever any of you think proper to run your heads against anything. Good evening," repeated the doctor, as he vanished, with an empha- sis so groat as to pronounce the words not only in italics, but even iu small ca tale. icbnrond went over and took Fred- dy's hand. "My dearest cousin, how rho you feel?" he said. "Oh, dreadfully ill," she said, faintly; "my hood does ache so." "Perhaps you had better go to your room and lie down," said Richmond, his lips quivering slightly. "Mother, you will go with her." "Certainly, my dear boy. Como, Freddy, let me assist you up stairs." Putting her arm around Miss Rich- mond's waist, Mrs. Wildair led her from the room. And then every one present took a doep breath, and looked first at ono another and then at their host, with a glance that said, "What comes next?" But if they expected an apology from Mr. Wildair they were disappointed, for, turning round, he said as calmly as if nothing had occurred: "I believe we were to enact some pan- tomimes this evening—eh, Curtis ? It is near time we were beginning, is it not, ladies 7" So completely taken aback were they by this cool way of doing business that a dead parse ensued, and amazed looks were again exchanged. Any one else but Richmond Wildair would have been embarrassed; but he stood calm and self possessed, waiting for their answer. "Really," said Airs. Gleason, drawing herself up till her corset -laces snapped, "after the unaccountable scene that—. abom—has just occurred, yon will have to excuse me if I decline joining in any amusement whatever this evening. My nerves have been completely unstrung. I never received such a shock in my life, and I must say—" She paused in sumo confusion under the clear, piercing gaze of Richmond's dark eagle eye. "Well, madam 7" he said, with uuruf. fled courtesy. "In a word, Mr. Wildair," said the lady, stiffly, "I must say that 1 do not consider it safe to stay longer iu the same house with a dangerous lunatic, for such I consider your wife must be. You will therefore Blouse me if I take my departure for tho city to -morrow." Iu grave silence, Richmond bowed ; and the offended lady, in magnificent displeasure, swept from the room. "And, Mr. Wildair," said Miss Reid, languidly, "I too fool it absolutely neces- sary to return; violence is so =pleasant to witness. Good night." And the young lady floated away. Once again Richmond bowed, appa- rently unmoved, but the slight twitoh- ing of the muscles of his month showed how keenly he felt this. "Ave upon honnaev, Wildaih," lisped Mr. Lester; hastily, "though I wegwet it—aw—oxceodingly, you know—I wool- ly must go back to New York to -morrow too, Business, my deal). fellow, comae befoab pleasure, and letters "I• understand ; pray, do not feel it necessary to apologize," said Mr. Wild - air, with a'slight sneer; "allow me to bid you good -night, Mr. Lester, and a pleasant journey to New York to -mor- row." Poor Mo. Lester I There was no use in trying to brave it out under the light of those dark, scornful eyes, and he snealecl from the room with much the same feeling as if he had been kicked out. There was another profound 'pause when he was gone. Not an eye , there was. ready to meet the falcon gaze of their boat. Mr. Wildair steeped back a pace, folded his arms aver hos chest, and looked steadily at them. "Well, ladies and gentlemen," he said calmly, who next?" "Wildair, my clear: old fellow," said Dick Curtin, with tears in his eyes, "I— I feel—l' feel --I'll be hanged if I Meow wereinseasexixweaiaincorwaszzm,,emenaeratesesezeinenseersar if it had been a vizier, and folding his arms, looked steadily and silently down upon her. "lliolimond 1 Richmond 1 speak and tell me. Oh, I shall go mad !' she cried in freeziod tones. She looked as though alio were going mad indeed, with her streaming hair, her pallid face, and wildly bhezing eyes. Perhaps he feared her reoxon was totter. ing, for ho stormy xeplied; "Cease this raving, madam; you have been saved from becoming a murderess in act, though you are ono in the sight of heaven." "And she will not die?" "No." "Oh, thunk Heaven!" and, totally overcome, she sank, for the that time in her life, almost fainting into her seat. Richmond looked at her with deep, scornful oyes. "You to thank Heaven !—you to take that name on your lips!—you, who this night attempted a murder ! Oh, woman ! do you not fear the vengeance of that Heaven you invoke?" "Oh, Richmond, spare me nat. I de- serve:all you would say. 0111 in all this world there is not another so lost, so fallen, so guilty as I." "You are right, there is not ; for one who would attempt the life of a young and innocent girl must bo steeped in guilt so black that Hades itself invest shudder, Had you caused the death of Frederica Riehmond, as you tried to, I myself would have gond to the nearest magistrate, had you arrested, and forced you off this very night to the county jail. I would have prosecuted you, though every one else in the world was for yon ; and I would have gone to behold you perish on the scaffold, and then -and then only—felt that .1.i„tice was satiefiod." She almost shrieked, as she covered how I fool. Its too bad—it's too darned bad for them to treat you this way, After all you've tried to do for them. It's abominable, it's infernal, it's a shame— it's a shame ! 1 beg your pardon, ladies, for sweating, but it's enough to make e saint swear—I'll be shot if it's not!" said Mr, Curtis, looking round with a sort of howl of mingled raga and grief, and thou seizing Richmond s hand and shaking it as if it had been a pump - handle, "And I, too, Curtis," said the honest voice of Captain Arlingford, "am with you there. Mr. Wildair, you must not set us all down as Mr. Lesters." "Tho mean little ass l—ought to be kicked from hero to sundown 1" said Lioutena,t Gleason, in a tone of dis- gust. "And so ought mother," said Harry, etiolcing his bands in his rookets and striding up and down hi indignation; "and the nasty Lydia Languish Dieaway Reid, a bo.scented, be.frizzled, bo - flounced stuck-up piece of dry -goods. I wish to gracious the whole of them were ]ticked to death by hornbugs," said Henry, thrusting his kande to the very bottom of his pockets and glaring de- fiance round the room. A low murmur of earnest sympathy name from all present, Miss Harper in. eluded; for as Captain Arlingford had joined the opposition party, like curtain politicians of the present day, she foand it no way difficult to change her tactics and go over to the enemy. WilAdayirf,riends, I thank you," sada Mr. 1n a suppressed voice, as he abruptly turned and walked to the win- dow; "but—you must excuse mc, and allow use to leave you for the present. I fool—" he broke off abruptly, wheel. cd round, and with a brief "good -night," was gone. Ho passed up stairs and entered the library and sank into a chair. His brain seemed on fire, the room for a moment seemed whirling round, and thought was impossible. The shame, the disgrace, the mockery, the laughter the scenes in Richmond House must cause among his city friends, alone stood vividly before him. He fancied he could hear their jeering laughs and mocking sneers when- ever ho appeared, and, half maddened, he rose and began to pace up and down like a maniac. And then camp the thought of her who had caused all this —of her who had nearly chain his cou- sin, and the pallid hue of rage his faco worn gave place to a glow of indigna- tion. He had seen Georgia leave the room that evening, and Freddy with her sweet smile rise to follow her, and his thought had been, "Dear, kind little Freddy ! what a generous, forgiving heart sho must have to be so solicitous for Geor- gia's happiness, in spite of all she has done to her." And when he saw bor lying wounded and bleeding, with his infuriated wife standing over her, he fancied she had merely spoken some soothing words, and that the demon within Georgia'efieryheart had promptod her to return the kindness thus. It is strange how blind the most wise of this world aro when wisdom is en- tirely of this earth. Richmond Wildair, with his clear !road and profound intel- lect, was completely deceived by his fawning, silky, silvoiyvoiced little cou- sin. In his eyes Georgia alone was at fault. Freddy was immaculate. She it was who had brought him to this—she, whom he had raised from her inferior position to be his wife—sho, who, instead of being grateful, had commenced to play the tormagent, as he called it, ere the honeymoon was over. And worse than that, she had proved herself the most despicable of human beings, a married flirt ? Had she and Captain Arlingford not been together the whole day 2—a sure proof that she never cared mach for him. Had she married him for his wealth and social position? Was it possible Georgia had done this? His brain for an instant reeled at the thought, and then he grew strangely calm. She was proud, ambitions, aspiring, fond of wealth and power, and this was he only means she had of securing them. Yes, it must be so, And as the con- viction Dame across hie mind, a deep, bitter, scornful anger filled his heart and soul, and drove out every other feeling. With au impulsive bound he sprang up, and with a ringing stop he passed down stairs and entered the parlor whore he had left her. And she—poor, stormy, passionate Georgia! what had been her feelings all this time? At first, in the tumultuous tempest swooping through her soul, a deop, swelling rage against all who were goading her on to desperation along Oiled her thoughts. She had paced np., and down, wildly, madly, until this Passed away, and then came another and more terrible feeling -what if she had killed Freddy 2 As if she had been stunned by a blow, sho tottered to a seat, while a thousand voices seemed shrieking in her cars, 'Murderess! inure across I" Oh 1 the horror, the agony,' the to- inorse that were hors at that moolent. She put her hands to her ears to shut out the dreadful sound of those phaeton' voices, and crouching down in a strange, distorted position,, she. struggled 'alone with all her agonizing remorse. Hew' willingly in that moment Woiild she have given her own life—a sthousend lives, had she possessed them''—to have recalled her arch enemy back to life once more, So she lay for hours, feeling ae though her very reason Was tottering 011 its throne, and so Richmond found' hon when he opened the door, She sprang to her .feet with a wild bound, and, flying over, the caught his band and almost shrieked; "Oh, Richmond I is she dead? Oh, Richmond I'in the name of 'storey, speak and tell me, is sho dead 2" She might have quailed Weed the look of unutterable scorn bent upon her, but she did not. He shook her band off as her face with her hands from his ter. rible gaze, but, unheeding her anguish, he went on in a calm, pitiless voice : "You, one night not long since, told me you wished you had never married me. That you really over wished it I do not now believe ; for one who would commit a cold.blooded murder would not hesitate at a lie—a lie. Do you hear, Georgia ? But I tell you now, that I wish 'I had been dead and in my grave ere I ever met Georgia Darrell !" "Oh, Richmond! Spare me spare me 1" she cried, in a dying voice. "No ; I am like yourself—I spare not. You have merited this, and a thousand times more from me, and you shall listen now. That you married me for my wealth and for the power it would give you, I know only too well. You were an unnatural child, and I might have known you would be an unnatural wo- man; but I willingly blinded my eyes and believed what you told me that accursed night on the sea -shore, and I married you—fool that I was ! I braved the scorn of the world, the sneers of my friends, the just anger of my mother, and stooped—are you listening, Georgia? —and stooped to wed you. And now I have my reward." "Oh, Richmond! I shall go mad!" she wailed, writhing in her seat, and feeling as if every fibre in her heart were tearing from its place, so intense was her anguish. But still the clear, clarion -like voice rang out on the air like a death -boll, cold and pitiless as the grave : "Once, 1n one of your storms of pas- sion, madam, you asked me why I married you. Now I answer you : be. cause I was mad, demented, besotted, crazed, or I most assuredly should nova have dreamed of such a thing. Perhaps you with I had not, for then the gallant sailor you admire so much might have taken it into his hair. brained head to do as I did in a fit of insanity—for which a life of misery like this is to atone—and married yon. That I have deprived you of this happi- ness I deeply regret, for, madam, much as you may repent this marriage, you can never, never repent it half as much as I do now." She had fallen at his feet, whether from physical sical weakness, or whether she a w had lathed there in her intolerable agony, he did not know, and, at that moment, did not care. Ho stepped back, looked clown upon her as she lay a moment, and went on : "I fanoied I loved you well enough then to brave the world for your sake ; but that, like all the rest of my short brain fever, has completely passed away. What feeling can one have for a mur- deress—for such in heart you are—but one of horror and loathing 2" She sprang to her feet with a moan- ing cry, and stood before him with one arm half raised ; her lips opened as if to speak, but no voice came forth. "Hear me out, madam," he inter- posed,waving his hand, "for it is the last time, perhaps, you will ever be troubled by a word from me. Yon have driven my guests from my house, you baso eternallydisgraced me, and, lest you should murder the very servants next, you must not be allowed to go free. While a friend of mine remains under this i oof you shall remain locked a close prisoner ).n your room, as a lunatic too dangerous to be at large. And if that docs notsubdue the fiend within you, ono thing yet remains for me to do—that I may go free once more." He paused, and the rage he had sub- dued by the strength of his mighty will all along, showed now in the deathlike whiteness of his face, white even to his lips, like the White ashes over red-hot coals. Again her arm was faintly rinsed, again her trembling lips parted, but the power of speech seemed to have been suddenly telt= l'i» her. No sound came forth, "What I all ex o me free as air—free as a .co I met you— ft= to bring quota mistress to Rich. mond ];louse before ,your very oyes. TO 111. 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