Lord and Lady Ivon knew from Azalia's own confession that Jewel
Fielding was the cruel half-sister whose machinations had driven her
from home, but they did not intend that Jewel should find out her
despised half-sister in this proud, lovely young great-granddaughter.
So they united in bestowing upon her glances of freezing hauteur, which
did not in the least deter her from her purpose.
"I am going to tell you why I fainted," said Jewel. "It was because
Miss Brooke was the living image of a sister I had lost, and it
startled me so that I lost my senses."
No one answered, no one moved, and Jewel continued, smoothly:
"It is so remarkable a likeness that it shocks me even yet whenever
I see Miss Brooke, and more than ever to-night, for she looks pale
and sad, and that was how poor Flower looked for many days before she
ran away and was lost in the wide world, or drowned in the great sea,
perhaps, for I have never been able to learn whether she's alive or
dead."
Azalia made a slight movement as if to rise to her feet, then sunk
back, too weak to obey the longing that urged her to fly from
the disgraceful revelation trembling on the lips of her fiendish
half-sister. She leaned her golden head back against the velvet chair
and watched Jewel with pleading, piteous eyes.
The pitiless voice went on, cruelly:
"I am sure that Miss Brooke there would not be disobedient or deceitful
to her guardians; but, alas, my sister Flower was very different
in spite of her angelic expression. She had a lover of whom mamma
disapproved so strongly that she forbid Flower ever to speak to him.
But, willful child that she was, Flower would not listen. She met her
lover in secret until he wearied of his plaything and deserted her to
the fate she had brought upon herself. When mamma found out the truth,
and realized that disgrace had come to the proud name of Fielding,
she went mad and had to be removed to an insane asylum. Flower ran
away, and many believed that she drowned herself. I always hoped that
she had, for I preferred death for my beautiful, willful young sister
rather than that she should have followed her false-hearted lover into
the world."
She paused, and every one in the room drew a long breath, then waited
for her further speech.
She gave a little laugh that jarred painfully on every heart.
"Is it any wonder that I fainted on beholding Miss Brooke?" she
continued, thrillingly. "I had hoped, even prayed, that my erring
sister was dead, and yet she seemed, all in a minute, to start up
before me, living and smiling as in the happy days ere she went astray.
Of course, I knew that it was nothing but a resemblance, yet it
startled, unnerved me--"
The dark eyes were looking with strange intentness into the white face
over yonder. They saw Azalia's white lips part, then close without a
sound.
Then--
"Miss Fielding, you have told your story with such realism that the
horror of it seems to weigh me down," said Lady Ivon. "I am sure we all
sympathize with you in your trouble over your erring sister. No wonder
the sight of Azalia moves you so much. I could wish she did not bear
any resemblance to your unfortunate relative."
Jewel sneered contemptuously into her face.
"You are proud. You would not fancy such a disgrace in the family," she
said.
"No," said the old lady, spiritedly, "I should not like it, Miss
Fielding, and if I had to endure it, I should try to keep it hidden
like a skeleton in a closet; I should not babble of my disgrace as you
have had the bad taste to do!"
Jewel laughed insolently, and answered:
"Yes, I knew all your pride, and that made me all the more determined
to expose my deceitful sister."