The Masked Bridal

by Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

  CHAPTER XI.

  "NOW MY VINDICATION AND TRIUMPH WILL BE COMPLETE!"

  When Anna Goddard descended to her spacious and elegant parlors, herface was wreathed with the brightest smiles, which, alas! covered andconcealed the bitterness and anger of her corrupt heart, even whileshe circulated among her friends with apparently the greatestpleasure, and with her usual charm and grace and manner.

  After a short time spent socially, the guests repaired to the spaciouscarriage-house, where the theatrical performance was to take place, tosecure the most desirable seats for the play, before the multitudefrom outside should arrive.

  The place had been very handsomely decorated, and lighted byelectricity, for the occasion. Potted flowers, palms, and ferns wereartistically grouped in the corners, and handsome draperies were hunghere and there to simulate windows and doors, and to conceal whatevermight otherwise have been unsightly.

  The floor had been covered with something smooth, linoleum oroilcloth, and then thoroughly waxed, for after the play was over, theplace was to be cleared for dancing.

  Across one end, a commodious stage had been erected, although this wasat present concealed by a beautiful drop-curtain of crimson felt,bordered with old gold.

  The room filled rapidly, and long before the time for the curtain toascend, every seat was occupied.

  At eight o'clock, precisely, the signal was given, and the play began.

  Programs had been distributed among the audience--dainty little cardsof embossed white and gold they were, too--announcing the title, "TheMasked Bridal," giving the names of the participants, and promisingthat the affair would close with a genuine surprise to every one.

  The piece opened in an elegantly appointed library, with a spiritedscene and dialogue between a young couple, who were desirous ofmarrying, and the four objecting parents.

  The actors all rendered their parts well, the heroine being especiallypretty and piquant, and winning the admiration and sympathy of theaudience at the outset.

  In the next scene the unfortunate young couple are represented asplotting with two other lovers, whose wedding-day is set, tocircumvent their obdurate parents, and carry out their determinationto become husband and wife.

  This also was full of energy and interest, several bright hits andwitticisms being cleverly introduced, and the curtain went down amidenthusiastic applause; then, while the stage settings were beingchanged for the final act and the church wedding, some music wasintroduced, both vocal and instrumental, to while away the time.

  Edith, who had assisted madam in the dressing-room as long as she wasneeded, had come outside, at the beginning of the scene, and stationedherself at the back of the room to watch the progress of the play.

  But she had been there only for a few moments when some one touchedher on the shoulder to attract her attention.

  Glancing around, she saw a young girl, one of the guests in the house,who remarked:

  "Mrs. Goddard wished me to tell you to come to her at once in herboudoir. Please be quick, as the matter is important."

  Edith immediately glided from the room, but wondering what could havehappened that madam should want her in her own apartments, when shesupposed her to be behind the scenes.

  Meantime, while the guests were being entertained with the play ofwhich their hostess was the acknowledged author, a mysterious scenewas being enacted within the mansion.

  When the hour for the entertainment drew near, the house, as we know,had been emptied of its guests, until only the housekeeper, thebutler, and the other servants remained as occupants.

  The butler had been instructed to keep ward and watch below, whileMrs. Weld went upstairs, ostensibly to ascertain that everything wasas it should be there, but in reality, to carry out a project of herown.

  Seeking the maids, who, since they had no duties at that particularmoment to occupy them, had gathered in the dressing-rooms, and werediscussing the merits of the various costumes which they had seen, sheremarked, in her kindly, good-natured way:

  "Girls, I am sure you would like a peep at the play, and Mrs. Goddardgave me permission to send you out, if you could be spared. I willlook after everything up here, and you may go now, if you like, onlybe sure to hurry back the moment it is over, for you will then beneeded again."

  They were of course delighted with this privilege, but Mollie, who wasan unusually considerate girl, and always willing to oblige others,inquired:

  "Wouldn't you like to see the play, Mrs. Weld? I will stay and let yougo."

  "No, thank you, child. I had enough of such things years ago," thehousekeeper returned, indifferently. "Run along, all of you, so as tobe there when the curtain goes up."

  And the girls, only too eager for the sport, needing no secondbidding, sped away, thanking her heartily for the privilege.

  Thus the upper portion of the mansion was entirely deserted, but forthe housekeeper and the unsuspected presence of Emil Correlli, who waslocked within his own room, awaiting from his sister the signal forhis appearance upon the stage below.

  The moment the housemaids were beyond hearing, Mrs. Weld gaveutterance to a long sigh of relief, whipped off her blue spectacles,and with a swift, noise-less step, wholly unlike her usual waddlinggait, hurried down the hall, and into Mrs. Goddard's room, carefullyclosing and locking the door after her.

  Proceeding to the dressing-room, a quick, searching glance showed herthe object she was looking for--my lady's jewel-casket, standing wideopen upon a small, marble-top table near a full-length mirror.

  It had been rifled of most of its contents, madam herself having wornmany of her jewels, while others had been loaned to the actors toembellish their costumes for the play.

  "Ah! my task is made much easier than I expected," murmured the woman,as she peered curiously into the velvet-lined receptacle.

  She saw only an empty tray, which she carefully removed, only to findanother exactly like it underneath.

  This also she took out, revealing the bottom of the box, covered withits velvet cushion, upon which there were indentations, to receive afull set of jewelry, necklace, bracelets, tiara, brooch and ear-rings.

  The housekeeper's face was ghastly pale, or would have been but forthe stain which gave her complexion its olive tinge, and she wastrembling with excitement.

  "She surely took that paper from this box," she muttered, a note ofdisappointment in her voice, as if she had expected to find what shesought upon removing the second tray.

  "I wonder if this cushion can be removed?" she continued, as she triedto lift it from its place.

  But it fitted so closely that she could not stir it.

  Looking around the room for something to assist her in this effort,she espied a pair of scissors on the dressing-case.

  Seizing them, she attempted to pry up the cushion with them.

  It was not an easy thing to do, without defacing the velvet, but, atlength, she succeeded in lifting one side, when she found nodifficulty in removing the whole thing.

  Her agitation increased as her glance fell upon several papers snuglypacked in the bottom of the box.

  "Ah! if it should prove to be something of no account to me!" shebreathed, with trembling lips.

  At last she straightened herself with sudden resolution, and puttingher hand into the box drew forth the uppermost paper.

  It was yellow with time, and so brittle that it cracked apart in oneof the creases as she opened it; but paying no heed to this, shestepped to the dressing-case, and spread it out before her, while hereager eyes swept the mystic page from top to bottom.

  Then a cry that ended in a great sob burst from her hueless lips.

  "It is! it is!" she gasped, in voiceless agitation. "Ah, Heaven, thouart gracious to me at last! Now, I know why she would not surrender itto him--now I know what the condition of its ransom must have been!

  "How long has she had it, I wonder? and when did she first learn ofits existence?" she murmured. "Ah! but it does not matter--I have itat last--I, who da
red not hope for its existence, believing it musthave been destroyed, until the other day; and now"--throwing back herhead with an air that was very expressive--"my vindication and triumphwill be complete!"

  With the greatest care, she refolded the paper, after which sheimpulsively pressed it to her lips; then, putting it away in herpocket, she turned back to the jewel-casket, and peered curiously intoit once more.

  "I wonder what other intrigues she has been guilty of?" she muttered,regarding its contents with a frown.

  She laid her hand upon one of the papers, as if to remove it, thendrew back.

  "No," she said, "I will touch nothing else; I have what I came toseek, and have no right to meddle with what does not concern me. Lether keep her other vile secrets to herself; my victory is alreadycomplete."

  She replaced the velvet cushion, pressing it hard down into itsplace.

  She then restored the trays as she had found them, but did not closethe casket, since she had found it open.

  She retraced her steps into the boudoir, where, as she was passingout, she trod upon something that attracted her attention.

  She stooped to ascertain what it was, and discovered a gentleman'sglove.

  "Ah," she said, as she picked it up and examined it, "I should say itbelongs to madam's brother! In that case, he must have returned thisevening to attend the grand finale, although I am sure he was not atthe dinner-table."

  She dropped the glove upon the floor where she had found it, but therewas a look of perplexity upon her face as she did so.

  "It seems a little strange," she mused, "that the young man shouldhave been away all this time; and if he was to return at all, I cannotunderstand why there should have been this air of secrecy about it. Hehas evidently been in this room to-night, but I am sure he has notbeen seen about the house."

  She opened the door and passed out into the hall, when she wasstartled to hear the voice of Mrs. Goddard talking, in the hall below,with the butler.

  Mrs. Weld quietly slipped across to the room opposite--the same one inwhich Edith and Mr. Goddard had held their interview earlier in theevening--where, seating herself under a light, she caught up a bookfrom the table, and pretended to be deeply absorbed in its contents.

  A moment later, madam, having ascended the stairs, came hurrying downthe hall, and saw her there.

  She started.

  It would never do for the woman to suspect the truth regarding whatshe was about to do.

  No one must dream that Edith was not lending herself willingly to thelast scene in the drama of the evening, and she expected to have somedifficulty in persuading her to take the part.

  There must be no possibility of any one hearing any objections thatshe might make, for, in that case, the charge of fraud could bebrought and proved against her and her brother, after all was over.

  But after the first flash of dismay, the cunning woman devised ascheme which would take the housekeeper out of her way, and leave thefield clear for her operations.