Chapter XXX:
Elaine's History
ONE day during Lucretia's illness she had entered a quiet sleep for the first time since the night of the rescue. Mr. Wilson, who was a constant visitor, sat in the next room with Elaine and remarked, "Do you think that the Reginald she frequently calls and begs to forgive her is her fiance with whom she quarrelled, or a husband? It sounds so pathetic to hear her repeat in her delirium that she ran away because she loves him and wants him to be happy with Georgiana, and that uncle she continually calls. Oh, it is too sad! Can't you get any information from the African maid? I wonder if I could not bribe her to talk? I would give anything to straighten this tangle and see the poor child happy."
Elaine sighed, "Poor little thing, I don't know when I have taken a liking for any one in my life as I have for this poor child. Her parents are dead and the uncle must have treated her very kindly. But the 'Reginald' is a puzzle; she looks too young to be married. If she were an American I would think it likely, but from an aristocratic English family, as she evidently is, seems incredible. In some of her rambles she spoke of the Castle, Lady somebody, and a Countess. The African maid is like an oyster and a bribe won't work with her. Sometimes I regret that we did not have her along. Le Comte called Lucretia a tigress, he would have called the maid a lioness. She would have fought both he and Madame, and, I bet, come out winner. Lucretia is safe in her care, you bet. But we must persuade the little girl to return to her uncle and Reginald. We must act as Cupid when she is better," ended Elaine with a smile.
"Yes, we will be Cupid for our little friend, but what about ourselves also, Elaine? You must by now know that I love you. Won't you permit our friend to act as Cupid for us, and bring me happiness also?" Mr. Wilson asked as he drew near and caught Elaine's hand. To his surprise she burst into tears.
"No, no, dear friend, you have been too trustful. You know nothing about my history. I have waited for you to ask some explanation of my knowledge of the Chateau and first meeting with Lucretia, but you have never referred to the subject other than if it were a natural and clever feat. You must listen to my history first and if you still think me worthy of your great love, then I can listen to your wooing.
"My name is Elaine Morrison, the Chicago heiress whom you must have read of three years ago, who eloped with a foreign nobleman. Le Comte d'Attone posed as an unmarried man and persuaded me to marry him secretly and retire with him to his country seat in Lavidia, near Kichinieff, Russia. We lived together very happily for about two years and a half, when he received a letter one morning and left the villa hastily upon what he termed a short business trip to England.
He wrote regularly for six weeks and ceased. Two months after his departure, I was surprised by a pale, aristocratic lady visitor, who announced herself as le Comtesse d'Attone and accused me of most horrible things. When I finally convinced my visitor that I was married by producing my certificate, she soon changed her tone and informed me that I was the victim of a fraud and that the certificate was a fake. She told me awful tales of le Comte's infidelity and immoral escapades. I was ill for a month after her visit. I wrote to the Comte and received no reply.
As soon as I became fit to travel I began a search for him. Oh, the feelings of love and passion! I was nearly crazy with grief and doubt.
One day I followed him to the Chateau and tried to enter, but was refused admittance. I used to hide within the grounds. and watch for any opportunity to enter. One evening I saw a veiled woman go to the sundial and let herself down the secret entrance. I followed and searched until I found the spring and let myself down also. I opened the secret spring door, but could go no farther when I reached the locked door. I recalled, however, a piece of gum, the Chicago habit still clings to me, that I had in my bag, so that I obtained the impression of the keyhole.
When I tried to return I could not find the spring to open the other door and was obliged to remain in the dark and chilly tunnel until after midnight, when the woman returned without a light and I hid behind the door as she opened it and followed safely out.
"Before I could get an opportunity to use the tunnel entrance, I followed him to the house on the Boulevard d'Italian, when I rescued Lucretia and met him face to face for the first time since his desertion. In his passionate anger at the interrupted scene he informed me that I was not his wife and have no claims upon him.
"I despised him then too much to feel the sting of his cruel revelation, and was too interested in the unfortunate child to think of personal revenge.
"I wired Zina as soon as I left Madame Maza's and tried to obtain police assistance but it seemed as if I were the culprit by the manner in which my information was received. So, I hastened to place my maid on watch, keeping le Comte shadowed.
"I was watching for an opportunity to enter the house as some other visitor was admitted when I met you," she ended.
"Have you taken steps to obtain a divorce on the ground of bigamy?" Mr. Wilson asked.
"No, because I sent a copy of my certificate to my Chicago lawyer and had him go to South Bend, Indiana, and investigate. There was no record on the register and the minister was unknown, in fact, the whole ceremony was a mere play enacted by tools of d'Attone in order to deceive me. The certificate, which is not worth the paper upon which it is written, is the only proof that will anyway show that I was an innocent party to a fraud.
"I really believed myself his legal wife and trusted him so implicitly that I respected his desire to avoid publicity in the States. But we traveled always as husband and wife, I using the title of 'la Comtesse,'" Elaine replied.
"My poor little girl. You need to be pitied as much as our little friend. Did you think that that would cause me to change my mind, dear? That only shows that you need me more. Only tell me, dear, that you will trust me and try to let me win your love in time, and I shall be happy," Mr. Wilson said as he caught her hand.
"You will not have to win my love, dear; it has been yours ever—"
The other part of the sentence was lost in Mr. Wilson's shower of kisses.
"We must marry quietly as soon as our friend is better, and leave for Italy as soon as she is safely with her relatives. The Comte d'Attone had better not cross my path in the meantime, because I have two big scores against him now and I am sorry that I permitted you to dissuade me from following my impulse that day and had given the scoundrel the good thrashing I was about to give him," Mr. Wilson repeated during a temporary cessation of the caresses.
When Lucretia was strong enough to bear the excitement of the news, Elaine informed her and added, "My dear Lucretia, you must give us a wedding present, the opportunity of reuniting you with your Reginald and uncle. You are making a great mistake, child, to remain away from your loved ones.
"I don't want to pry into your confidence, but my woman's intuition tells me that you are laboring under a great mistake, at the bottom of which is groundless jealousy. Listen to your friend, little one, your Reginald is suffering and heart-broken as well as yourself."
"Do you think he cares?" Lucretia so far forgot herself to ask.
"Of course he cares and suffers. Men have feelings as well as women and suffer more keenly that they bear their grief silently. And your uncle, child! Think of him also," Elaine replied.
"As soon as you are married, dear, I shall leave for my home immediately and you must promise that you will spend the greater part of your honeymoon with us. Oh, if I had only had such true friends as you and Mr. Wilson a month ago, I should have been a happy wi—person to-day," Lucretia exclaimed, as she threw her arms about Elaine's neck and almost betrayed her secret.
The next day Mr. Wilson and Elaine took Lucretia out on a shopping tour and a ride through the city.
As the party drove down fate played a cruel trick. Had they been three minutes earlier they would have seen Lord Winslow as he was about to enter a hotel, meet the Countess de la Feres coming out and about to enter a waiting limousine when she recognized and hailed him, or had they been two minutes later they would have seen the Earl when he tipped his hat and walked back to the hotel as the machine drove away. But fate would have it that they arrived just as Lord Winslow was assisting the Countess into a car. Lucretia uttered a little sigh and fainted before the surprised couple, who had paid no heed to the little drama, could imagine the cause.
"The shopping was too much for her. But she seemed to have enjoyed it. We must take her back home at once," Mr. Wilson said in a puzzled tone.
"I think that couple in front of the hotel were responsible for the attack, because I noticed how strangely she acted when she first saw them, but I was so interested in Lucretia that I paid no attention to the couple," Elaine replied.
"I wish I had suspected that. I am sure I have met that military looking gentleman, and perhaps the lady," Mr. Wilson added regretfully.
When Lucretia was revived, she surprised her friends by announcing that she could not follow their plans, because it was impossible to return to her home. But if they would assist her to reach Sierra Leone, West Africa, she would be very grateful for their kindness.
"You are our daughter now, Lucretia, and you will accompany us upon our honeymoon and return with us to the States if you refuse to return to your relatives. So now say no more about Africa, or we will be angry," Mr. Wilson playfully remarked.