Читать книгу A Queen of the Stage - Fred M. White - Страница 7

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Elsie waited patiently for Vera to speak. Up to now the latter had been calm and collected, but at this point she appeared to be fighting hard against some overpowering emotion.

"Won't you tell me what it is?" Elsie asked. "Please do not be afraid. You know I will do anything for you, so long as I am not asked to stoop to deceit. Why have you dressed me up like this at this hour of the night?"

"Perhaps I had better begin at the beginning," Vera replied. "I saw you were impressed with the personality of General Rashleigh. You thought him an exceedingly fine man, didn't you?"

Elsie admitted that she did.

"He was just as favorably taken with you," Vera went on, "and, indeed, you have come to us like an angel unawares. I have been searching everywhere for a girl, of character—brave, resolute, well-educated, and good-looking. When Dora Carney told me of what had happened at her father's office I felt sure I had found the woman I required. I am going to take you into our secrets, because I believe you can be trusted. In the first place, let me tell you that General Rashleigh is my father. Perhaps you noticed the likeness between us?"

"Now you mention it," Elsie said, "I recognise it."

"You may be surprised to hear," Vera resumed, "that until a few months ago I had no idea I had a father alive. In fact, I had no idea what my real name was. From my present mode of life you will hardly guess that until my twenty-first birthday, I was brought up in the most puritanical fashion by a narrow-minded aunt who thought all pleasure sinful. It is almost impossible to describe how dull and monotonous my life was. Though she professed to be an exceedingly religious woman, my aunt hated me for some reason or other, and I was only too glad to escape from her house. I ran away and drifted on to the stage. After my success I became acquainted with General Rashleigh, who professed to see in me a likeness to his late wife. One question led to another, and on investigation it came out that the General was my father. It appeared that my mother was a very passionate and headstrong woman, and that after I was born she disappeared from home, taking me with her. My father advertised for her in vain; he never succeeded in discovering the quiet country hiding-place where my mother had sought refuge. You can imagine how interested I was to learn all this. When I met my father he was nearly on the verge of ruin in consequence of some rash speculations, and my brother has had to abandon his career in the army and go into an office in the city. All these things have happened during the past twelve months. As soon as I could, I freed my father from his difficulties, and tried to induce him to come here to live. That he would not hear of. But all seemed going happily till a few weeks ago, when my brother got into fearful trouble, and to make a long story short, was forced to flee the country lest he should fall into the hands of the police. It was a shocking business, and so complicated that I do not know the ins and outs of it. It is such a sad thing, for my brother is a dear, good fellow, and almost as handsome as his father, which is saying a great deal."

"Is he safe now?" Elsie asked.

"Far from it. And this brings me to the point. The pursuit is so hot that Gerald has been forced to come home again, and hide himself in this house, where he is at the present moment. I am almost certain the police have a clue to his retreat, and that is why you are here to-night."

"Indeed," Elsie exclaimed. "What can I do?"

"I think you can do everything we need," Vera said. "Our great idea is to get Gerald out of the house. I shall know no peace till that is accomplished. Roger Carney is blackmailing me on the strength of his knowledge. Of course you do not know that Carney is a relation of mine. He is my mother's only brother. There is another and still more terrible danger, but that I need not allude to just now."

"As you please," Elsie murmured.

"Now, to put it briefly, this is my scheme. You are an actress-friend, and come here this evening to induce me to accompany you to a fancy-dress ball at Covent Garden. It is your idea to go in the character of a bride, because I saw my way to fitting you out in that character without unnecessary trouble. Of course, I am not going with you to the dance, but you will take your maid with you. As the house is being watched, no suspicion will be excited by the sight of a young lady in fancy dress accompanied by her maid. Do you understand?"

Elsie's eyes sparkled; she was beginning to enter into the spirit of the adventure.

"I follow you perfectly," she cried. "My maid will be your brother."

"Quite right," Vera said approvingly. "That is the plan exactly. I have the tickets for the dance, and must leave you to get through the next two or three hours as best you can. I know it will be a trying time for you."

Elsie recognised that, too. She was feeling nervous and excited—to be alone, as it were, amongst a thousand people, was something she looked forward to with dread. Never in her life had she been to a dance, much less a public ball of this description.

"I'll do my best," she said. "I suppose I am to come back and report myself?"

"Precisely. My brother will see you into the ballroom, then he will take a cab and proceed to a place of safety. You need not remain more than a couple of hours; but you would like to see my poor brother?"

Before Elsie could reply there was a noise downstairs which followed swiftly on a banging at the front door and an angry voice was heard in altercation. Elsie glanced at her companion as if mutely asking for an explanation. She saw that Vera Barrington had turned white to the lips, and that her whole form was quivering.

"I half feared this," Vera said hoarsely. "He is coming this way. Don't say more than you can help, and fall in with whatever suggestion I make."

The door of the bedroom was burst violently open and a man staggered in. His well-cut features were spoiled by traces of excessive dissipation, for the face was blotched and red stained, and the naturally fine eyes were blurred and watery. From his gait it was clear that he was not sober. He lurched across the room and gripped Vera so savagely by the arm that livid red marks stood out on the firm white flesh. With a cry of pain Vera wrenched her arm free.

"Why do you come here?" she demanded. "Why do you break our compact in this fashion? You promised me——"

"I know I did," the man said suddenly. "I promised to keep away from you as long as you behaved yourself. Don't forget that you loved me once, and that we were quite happy——"

"Until you took to drink, and became the degraded wretch you are," Vera cried. "My love for you is dead and buried, but if you have a single spark of affection left for me——"

"I have never ceased to care for you," the man said with hoarse passion, "and you know it. There isn't a woman in the wide world who could take your place in my heart. You should pity my misfortunes. There is a demon in my blood that calls day and night for drink, and when the demon is aroused I am not fit company for the vilest of humanity."

"Spare me this," Vera said coldly. "I can only remind you that you are breaking our bargain. I give you a third of my income on the distinct understanding that you do not come near me or molest me in any way."

"Neither would I," the man said sullenly. "But you are not keeping your side of the compact. At the present moment there is a young man living in the house, and you are concealing the fact——"

"Do you dare to insinuate?" Vera cried passionately; her cheeks aflame with anger. "But I will not demean myself by discussing the matter with you. If you say one word more on that subject I will never give you another penny."

The man turned with a scornful laugh and fixed an insolent gaze on Elsie. She colored under his scrutiny, and turned to Vera for an explanation.

"Who is this lady?" the intruder demanded.

"She is a friend," Vera said. "Miss Elsie Vane. She came to persuade me to accompany her to a fancy-dress dance. I told you, Elsie, that I have more troubles than a woman ought to be called upon to bear, and when I inform you that this is my husband, you will see that I am speaking no more than the truth. The proverb says that those who marry in haste repent at leisure. I know the truth of that from bitter experience. Yet when I became Mrs. Edward Greatorex, I thought I was one happiest girl on earth."

The man muttered something and turned to the door. He called Vera on one side, and for a few moments they were engaged in a whispered conversation. Presently Greatorex went down the stairs and the front door closed behind him.

"Now you know something of my life," Vera said. "It is only two years since I first met that man, and he won my heart at once. I could not tell you what I went through with him for twelve months. It may be that alcoholism is a disease. It may be that he is utterly and entirely bad. The strange fact remains that he is sincerely and passionately attached to me, though. I could show marks of his ill usage which I shall carry to the grave. When the madness is upon him, Edward Greatorex is a veritable savage. A little time ago I gave him a large sum of money on condition that he stayed on the Continent. You see, he knows nothing whatever about my father and brother, and is insanely jealous because he believes I am harboring a man here. You know in what sense that is true, but I dare not tell Edward because he would detail to the first man he met all the circumstances of the case. That is another reason why I am so anxious to get Gerald out of the way. Come with me and I will introduce you to my brother. He is anxiously waiting to see you."

The house was quiet and the servants appeared to have gone to bed. In the library Elsie found herself face to face with a youngish man who bore a strong likeness to Vera Barrington. His manner was subdued, his voice low and pleasing. He did not strike Elsie as the kind of man who would stoop to a vulgar crime. Perhaps she was prejudiced in his favor. At any rate, she was satisfied there must be some terrible misunderstanding.

"I have heard about you from my sister," Gerald Rashleigh said. "It is good of you to come to our help. I never heard of anything more heroic and self-sacrificing. Why you should aid complete strangers is one of those things which——"

"But I do not regard myself as a stranger," Elsie smiled. "Do you know that when I came here to-night I was desolate and alone. It is a real pleasure to help you, as I am sure it will be to your sister to help me. She would be as good and kind to me if I could do nothing in return."

"That she would," Rashleigh exclaimed. "I trust you will not judge me harshly until you know everything. I swear to you that I am innocent of the dreadful charge that hangs over my head. I hope before long to be able to stand up before the world and prove myself blameless. The reason why I did not give myself up before is that I had serious lung trouble. I am practically cured, but I know that even the few weeks that I should have to remain in gaol would be fatal. I don't know whether Vera has told you this——"

"It doesn't matter," Elsie said. "I am quite sure, Mr. Rashleigh, that you are an innocent man. My belief may seem illogical, but women are supposed to have an instinct in these matters."

"You are as good as you are beautiful," Rashleigh cried. "And you are running all this risk for a man you never saw before. I will not forget it as long as I live."

"You can thank Elsie later," Vera said with some impatience. "Meanwhile, time is flying, and we are keeping others waiting. Now, assume your disguise at once and I will whistle for a cab. Heaven grant our scheme does not fail at the last moment. I believe it would break my heart if anything went wrong. This suspense is getting more than I can bear."