The Masked Bridal Read online

  CHAPTER XIX.

  "I WILL NEVER BREAK BREAD WITH YOU, AT ANY TABLE."

  As the door closed after the angry and baffled woman, the portly formof the housekeeper entered the room from an apartment adjoining,where, as had been previously arranged between Edith and herself, shehad been stationed to overhear the whole of the foregoingconversation.

  "What can I do?" sighed the young girl, wearily, and lifting ananxious glance to her companion; for, in spite of her apparentcalmness throughout the recent interview, it had been a terriblestrain upon her already shattered nerves.

  "Nothing just yet, dear, but to try and get well and strong as soon aspossible," cheerfully responded Mrs. Weld.

  "Did you hear how she threatened me?"

  "Yes, but her threats were only so many idle words--they cannot harmyou; you need not fear them."

  "But I do; somehow, I am impressed that they are plotting even greaterwrongs against me," sighed Edith, who, now that the necessity ofpreserving a bold front was passed, seemed to lose her courage.

  "They will not dare--" began Mrs. Weld, with some excitement. Then,suddenly checking herself, she added, soothingly: "But do not worryany more about it now, child--you never need 'cross a bridge until youcome it.' Lie down and rest a while; it will do you good, and maybeyou will catch a little nap, while I go down to see that everything ismoving smoothly in the dining-room and kitchen."

  Edith was only too willing to heed this sensible advice, and, shortlyafter the housekeeper's departure, fell into a restful sleep.

  She did not awake until it was nearly dark, when, feeling muchrefreshed, she arose and dressed herself resolving that she would nottrouble tired Mrs. Weld to bring up her dinner, but go downstairs andhave it with her, as usual.

  The house was very quiet, for, all the guests having gone, there wasonly the family and the servants in the house.

  Edith remained in her room until she heard the dinner-bell ring, whenshe went to the door to listen for Mr. and Mrs. Goddard and EmilCorrelli to go down, before she ventured forth, for she had a specialobject in view.

  Presently she heard them enter the dining-room, whereupon she stolesoftly down after them and slipped into the library in search of thedaily papers.

  She found one, the _Transcript_, and then hurried back to her room,lighted the gas, and sat down to read.

  Immediately a low cry of dismay burst from her, for the first thingthat caught her eye were some conspicuous head-lines announcing:

  "A STARTLING SURPRISE IN HIGH LIFE."

  These were followed by a vivid description of the festivities at theGoddard mansion in Wyoming, on the previous evening, mentioning the"unique and original drama," which had wound up with "the greatsurprise" in the form of a "_bona fide_" marriage between the brotherof the beautiful and accomplished hostess, Mrs. Goddard, and a lovelygirl to whom the gentleman had long been attached, and whom he hadtaken this opportune and very novel way of introducing to his friendsand society in general.

  Then there followed a _resume_ of the play, giving the names of thevarious actors, an account of the fine scenery and brilliant costumes,etc.

  The appearance of the masked bride and groom was then enlarged upon,an accurate description of the bride's elegant dress given, and a mostflattering mention made of her beauty and grace, together with theperfect dignity and repose of manner with which she bore herintroduction to the many friends of her husband during the receptionthat followed immediately after the ceremony.

  No mention was made of her having fainted afterward, and the articleconcluded with a flattering tribute to the host and hostess for thesuccess of their "Winter Frolic," which ended so delightfully in thebrilliant and long-to-be-remembered ball.

  Edith's face was full of pain and indignation after reading thissensational account.

  She was sure that the affair had been written up by either madam orher brother, for the express purpose of bringing her moreconspicuously before the public, and with the intention of fasteningmore securely the chain that bound her to the villain who had sowronged her.

  "Oh, it is a plot worthy to be placed on record with the intrigues ofthe Court of France during the reign of Louis the Thirteenth andRichelieu!" Edith exclaimed. "But in this instance they have mistakenthe character of their victim," she continued, throwing back her proudlittle head with an air of defiance, "for I will never yield to them;I will never acknowledge, by word or act, the tie which they claimbinds me to him, and I will leave no effort untried to break it.Heavens! what a daring, what an atrocious wrong it was!" sheexclaimed, with a shudder of repugnance; "and I am afraid that, asidefrom my own statements, I cannot bring one single fact to prove acharge of fraud against either of them."

  She fell into a painful reverie, mechanically folding the paper as shesat rocking slowly back and forth trying to think of some way ofescape from her unhappy situation.

  But, at last, knowing that it was about time for Mrs. Weld to have herdinner, she arose to go down to join her.

  As she did so the paper slipped from her hands to the floor.

  She stooped to pick it up when an item headed, in large letters"Personal" caught her eye.

  Without imagining that it could have any special interest for her, sheglanced in an aimless way over it.

  Suddenly every nerve was electrified.

  "What is this?" she exclaimed, and read the paragraph again.

  The following was the import of it:

  "If Miss Allandale, who disappeared so suddenly from New York, on the 13th of last December, will call upon or send her address to Bryant & Co., Attorneys, No. ---- Broadway, she will learn of something greatly to her advantage in a financial way."

  "How very strange! What can it mean?" murmured the astonished girl,the rich color mounting to her brow as she realized that Royal Bryantmust have inserted this "personal" in the paper in the hope that itwould meet her eye.

  "Who in the world is there to feel interested in me or my financialcondition?" she continued, with a look of perplexity.

  At first it occurred to her that Mr. Bryant might have taken this wayto ascertain where she was from personal motives; but she soondiscarded this thought, telling herself that he would never be guiltyof practicing deception in any way to gain his ends. If he had simplydesired her address he would have asked for that alone without thepromise of any pecuniary reward.

  She stood thinking the matter over for several moments.

  At last her face cleared and a look of resolution flashed into hereyes.

  "I will do it!" she murmured, "I will go back at once to New York--Iwill ascertain what this advertisement means, then I will tell him allthat has happened to me here, and ask him if there is any way by whichI can be released from this dreadful situation, into which I have beentrapped. I am sure he will help me, if any one can."

  A faint, tender smile wreathed her lips as she mused thus, andrecalled her last interview with Royal Bryant; his fond, eager wordswhen he told her of her complete vindication at the conclusion of hertrial in New York--of his tender look and hand-clasp when he bade hergood-by at the door of the carriage that bore her home to her mother.

  She began to think that she had perhaps not used him quite fairly inrunning away and hiding herself thus from him who had been so true afriend to her; and yet, if she remained in his employ, and he hadasked her to be his wife, she knew that she must either have refusedhim, without giving him a sufficient reason, or else confessed to himher shameful origin.

  "It would have been better, perhaps, if I had never come away," shesighed, "still it is too late now to regret it, and all I can do is tocomply with the request of this 'personal.' I would leave this verynight, only there are some things at the other house that I must takewith me. But to-morrow night I will go, and I shall have to stealaway, or they will find some way to prevent my going. I will not eventell dear Mrs. Weld, although she has been so kind to me; but I willwrite and explain it all to her after my arrival in New York."
r />   Having settled this important matter in her mind, Edith went quietlydownstairs, and returned the paper to the library, after which sherepaired to the tiny room where she and Mrs. Weld were in the habit oftaking their meals.

  The kind-hearted woman chided her for coming down two flights ofstairs, while she was still so weak; but Edith assured her that shereally began to feel quite like herself again, and could not think ofallowing her to wait upon her when she was so weary from her ownnumerous duties.

  They had a pleasant chat over their meal, the young girl appearing farmore cheerful than one would have naturally expected under existingcircumstances. She flushed with painful embarrassment, however, when aservant came in to wait upon them, and gave her a stare of undisguisedastonishment, which plainly told her that he thought her place was inthe dining-room with the family.

  She understood by it that all the servants knew what had occurred theprevious night, and believed her to be the wife of Emil Correlli.

  But nothing else occurred to mar the meal, and when it was finishedEdith started to go up to her room again.

  She went up the back way, hoping thus to avoid meeting any member ofthe family.

  She reached the landing upon the second floor and was about to mountanother flight when there came a swift step over the front stairs,and, before she could escape, Emil Correlli came into view.

  Another instant and he was by her side.

  "Edith!" he exclaimed, astonished to see her there, "where have youbeen?"

  "Down to my dinner," she quietly replied, but confronting him withundaunted bearing.

  "Down to your dinner?" he repeated, flushing hotly, a look of keenannoyance sweeping over his face. "If you were able to leave your roomat all, your place was in the dining-room, with the family, and," headded, sternly, "I do not wish any gossip among the servants regardingmy--wife."

  It was Edith's turn to flush now, at that obnoxious term.

  "You will please spare me all allusion to that mockery," she bitterly,but haughtily, retorted.

  "It was no mockery--it was a _bona fide_ marriage," he returned. "Youare my lawful wife, and I wish you, henceforth, to occupy your properposition as such."

  "I am not your wife. I shall never acknowledge, by word or act, anysuch relationship toward you," she calmly, but decidedly, responded.

  "Oh, yes you will."

  "Never!"

  "But you have already done so, and there are hundreds of people whocan prove it," he answered, hotly, but with an air of triumph.

  "It will be a comparatively easy matter to make public a truestatement of the case," said the girl, looking him straight in theeyes.

  "You will not dare set idle tongues gossiping by repudiating ourunion!" exclaimed the young man, fiercely.

  "I should dare anything that would set me free from you," was thedauntless response.

  Her companion gnashed his teeth with rage.

  "You would find very few who would believe your statements," he said;"for, besides the fact that hundreds witnessed the ceremony lastnight, the papers have published full accounts of the affair, and thewhole city now knows about it."

  "I know it--I have read the papers," said Edith, without appearing inthe least disconcerted.

  "What! already?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, what did you think of the account?" her companion inquired,regarding her curiously.

  "That it was simply another clever piece of duplicity on your part,the only object of which was the accomplishment of your nefariouspurposes. I believe you yourself were the author of it."

  Emil Correlli started as if he had been stung.

  He did not dream that she would attribute the article to him--the lastthing he could wish would be that she should think it had emanatedfrom his pen.

  Nevertheless, his admiration for her was increased tenfold by hershrewdness in discerning the truth.

  "You judge me harshly," he said, bitterly.

  "I have no reason for judging you otherwise," Edith coldly remarked;then added, haughtily: "Allow me to pass, sir, if you please."

  "I do not please. Oh, Edith, pray be reasonable; come into Anna'sboudoir, and let us talk this matter over amicably and calmly," hepleaded, laying a gentle hand upon her arm.

  She shook it off as if it had been a reptile.

  "No, sir; I shall discuss nothing with you, either now or at any othertime. If," she added, a fiery gleam in her beautiful eyes, "it is everdiscussed in my presence it will be before a judge and jury!"

  The man bit his lips to repress an oath.

  "Yes, Anna told me you threatened that; but I hoped it was only anidle menace," he said. "Do you really mean that you intend to file anapplication to have the marriage annulled?"

  "Most assuredly--at least, if, indeed, after laying the matter beforethe proper authorities, such a formality is deemed necessary," saidthe girl, with a scornful inflection that cut her listener to thequick.

  He grew deadly white, more at her contemptuous tones than her threat.

  "Edith--what can I say to win you?" he cried, after a momentarystruggle with himself. "I swear to you that I cannot--will not livewithout you. I will be your slave--your lightest wish shall be my law,if you will yield this point--come with me as my honored wife, and letme, by my love and unceasing efforts, try to win even your friendlyregard. I know I have done wrong," he went on, assuming a tone and airof humility; "I see it now when it is too late. I ask you to pardonme, and let me atone in whatever way you may deem best. See!--Ikneel--I beg--I implore!"

  And suiting the action to the words, he dropped upon one knee beforeher and extended his hands in earnest appeal to her.

  "In whatever way I may deem best you will atone?" she repeated,looking him gravely in the face. "Then make a public confession of thefraud of which you have been guilty, and give me my freedom."

  "Ah, anything but that--anything but that!" he exclaimed, flushingconsciously beneath her gaze.

  She moved back a pace or two from him, her lips curling with contempt.

  "Your appeal was but a wretched farce--it is worse than useless--it isdespicable," she said, with an accent that made him writhe like awhipped cur.

  "Will nothing move you?" he passionately cried.

  "Nothing."

  "By Heaven! then I will meet you blade to blade!" he cried, furiously,and springing to his feet, his eyes blazing with passion. "Ifentreaties will not move you--if neither bribes nor promises willcause you to yield--we will try what lawful authority will do. I haveno intention of being made the laughing stock of the world, I assureyou; and, hereafter, I command that you conduct yourself in a mannerbecoming the position which I have given you. In the first place,then, to-morrow morning, you will breakfast in the dining-room withthe family--do you hear?"

  Edith had stood calmly regarding him during this speech; but, wishinghim to go on, if he had anything further to say, she did not attemptto reply as he paused after the above question.

  "Immediately after breakfast," he resumed, with something less ofexcitement, and not feeling very comfortable beneath her unwaveringglance, "we shall return to the city, and the following morning youand I will start for St. Augustine, Florida--thence go to Californiaand later to Europe."

  The young girl straightened herself to her full height, and she hadnever seemed more lovely than at that moment.

  "Monsieur Correlli," she said, in a voice that rang with anirrevocable decision, "I shall never go to Florida with you, nor yetto California, neither to Europe; I shall never appear anywhere withyou in public, neither will I ever break bread with you, at any table.There, sir, you have my answer to your 'commands.' Now, let me pass."

  Without waiting to see what effect her remarks might have upon him,she pushed resolutely by him and went swiftly upstairs to her room.

  The man gazed after her in undisguised astonishment.

  "By St. Michael! the girl has a tremendous spirit in that slight frameof hers. She has always seemed such a sweet little angel, too--no on
ewould have suspected it. However, there are more ways than one toaccomplish my purpose, and I flatter myself that I shall yet conquerher."

  With this comforting reflection, he sought his sister, to relate whathad occurred, and enlist her crafty talents in planning his next movein the desperate game he was playing.