Every eye was turned to the stage, and tumultuous applause greeted the
appearance of the favorite, so no one noticed the agitation of the
young husband and wife who, tightly clasping each other's hands, stared
with loathing eyes at the beautiful actress.
It seemed to both an evil omen--this meeting with cruel, heartless Mme.
Lorraine in the first hour of their supreme happiness after the months
of doubt and reserve that had held them apart.
All unconscious of the eyes that watched her--the eyes she believed
closed forever in the sleep of death, the clever actress went on with
her part, and, shrinking closer to Eliot's side, Una whispered with a
strange, foreboding fear:
"Let us go home before she sees us. Do not let her find out that we are
still living."
Man-like, he smiled at her terror, and whispered back:
"My darling, we have nothing to fear from Madame Lorraine's hatred now.
Can you not trust to your husband to protect you?"
"Yes--oh, yes," the girl-wife murmured; but the chill foreboding of
evil did not leave her mind, and she shrunk back into the shadow of the
heavy box-curtain, praying in her heart that Mme. Lorraine's hateful
glance might not find her out.
Perhaps it might not have done so, for, to madame's credit be it said,
she did not ogle the boxes after the manner of some actresses. She was
intent on her part, and, beyond the knowledge that she had a large and
fashionable audience, she took no particular interest in the throng of
people.
But a perverse spirit had entered into Eliot Van Zandt, and seeing the
woman so cool, calm, and heartless, he longed to let her know that her
vengeance failed of its aim and her victims escaped her. He pictured
to himself her jealous, impotent fury when she should know that both
he and her Little Nobody lived, and that they were happily married and
beyond the reach of her venom.
And in that last belief he made his great mistake.
He whispered his thoughts to Una. In truth, he was longing to take his
exquisite vengeance on his enemy.
Una forced a smile of meek acquiescence. She said to herself that she
could not let her splendid young husband know what a little coward she
was, and how she feared her old tyrant and enemy.
At the close of the third act Eliot said, eagerly:
"Will you let me have your bouquet, Una? To-morrow I will bring you a
sweeter one."
With secret reluctance she let him have it. He wrote hurriedly a few
words on a card and attached it to the flowers.
Una looked over his shoulder. She read:
"Compliments of Eliot Van Zandt and his bride, the 'Little Nobody.'"
"Oh!" the girl cried, with a shiver; but Eliot had already thrown it
upon the stage at the feet of the tragedy queen, who was bowing and
smiling in response to an enthusiastic recall.
Among a dozen floral tributes she saw that pure, white, bride-like one
flung from the opera-box. She took it up, lifted it to her lips, and
bowed, then scanned the name written on the card, while Eliot watched
her with a triumphant smile, Una with nameless fear.
Eliot was quite curious to note what effect that startling card would
have upon the wicked actress. It seemed to him that she would be
stunned, that she would fall to the floor in abject terror, crying out
for mercy from him she had wronged.
Una, too, expected every instant that she would fall down unconscious,
overcome by fear and anger.
Neither one comprehended the stoicism, the incomparable will-power of
the gifted, wicked French woman.
Terrible and overwhelming as was the knowledge thus suddenly acquired,
Mme. Lorraine neither by word nor sign gave any evidence that she had
received a shock. She merely stood still--very still--for a minute or
so with her eyes riveted upon the card, and the audience, suspecting
nothing of this strange by-play, received the impression that the
writing on the card was rather illegible, hence the slowness of the
actress in deciphering the name.
At last, with an inward shudder, madame lifted her eyes from the bit
of pasteboard upon which she had been gazing as one looks at a serpent
hidden among flowers. Her glance went straight to the box where Eliot
and Una, so beautiful, so happy, in their youth and love, sat with
bated breath watching her face. She recognized them instantly; a subtle
smile dawned on her face, she bowed profoundly.
The audience, still unconscious of the truth, applauded madame's
graceful courtesy to the echo, and kissing the tips of her fingers,
smiling right and left, she retired.
Una drew a long, sobbing breath of relief as the beautiful woman
vanished from sight. Eliot smiled and whispered:
"She accepts her defeat with equanimity. Her self-command is admirable,
enviable."
"I am so glad she took it so coolly; I dare say she does not care,"
Una murmured, gladly, and some of the stifling fear and dread left her
heart.
If she could have looked behind the scenes into madame's dressing-room,
she would not have felt so confident.
Mima had to exert all her skill to bring her mistress up to the mark
to enable her to go on with the fourth and last act in the play.
Her agitation upon reaching the dressing-room had been great, and Mima
for a moment had been scarcely less shaken; but her nerves were very
strong, and she soon began to reassure Mme. Lorraine.
"It is nothing--pshaw! Do not let your mind be upset, madame. Be glad
that the fair-faced lad lives. Your conscience is that much lighter,
and for the rest, he was never worthy the passion of so magnificent a
woman!"
"He was the only man I ever loved!" madame cried, obstinately. "He was
splendid, whatever you say, Mima, and to think that she, the Little
Nobody, has come back from the very grave to part us, to win him from
me! Oh, it is bitter! I will not endure it. He was mad to fling that
defiance in my face. I will make him pay dearly, dearly for that
insolence!"
"Nonsense! You shall not get yourself into any more scrapes over that
boy!" Mima cried, angrily.
Mme. Lorraine laughed hysterically.
"You shall see," she said. "I will come between them; I will part them.
I swear it!"
"Nonsense!" Mima said again. "You do not even know where they live."
"I shall find out!" the actress cried, obstinately; and then she gave
vent to a sudden cry of shrill delight.
"Oh! oh!"
"What is it, then?" curtly.
"Fortune favors me. You know I am invited to a little _petit souper_
to-night after the theater. It is at the house of one of the Boston
_bon ton_, and the name on the card is 'Mrs. Bryant Van Zandt.'"
Even the imperturbable Mima started with surprise.
"Well?"
Madame laughed, and the laugh was not good to hear.
"I have no doubt they are relatives of my Yankee friend," she said.
"Perhaps, even they live in the same house. I shall be sure to go, and
then--_che sarâ, sarâ_!" Her voice had a fiendish threat in its angry
cadence.
She went back on the stage, smiling, insolent. She looked once or twice
into the box from whence the white flowers had been thrown to her, and
smiled whenever she looked. And Una's blood ran cold whenever she met
that smile. She instinctively felt that it was one of menace.
She was very, very glad when it was all over, and she could nestle by
Eliot's side in the carriage with her cold little hand in his.
Maud and Edith rode with them, but they did not utter one word to even
hint to them that Mme. Leonie, the actress, was Mme. Lorraine, the
wicked woman who had been so cruel to them in New Orleans.
Both said to themselves that it did not matter now. Let her enjoy her
fame, if she could, since out of her cruel plans had come their wedded
happiness.
She would leave Boston to-morrow for Philadelphia, where she was to
play next, and in all likelihood her path would never cross theirs
again.
So, dismissing the wicked woman from their minds, Eliot and Una waited
with the girls in the drawing-room for the coming of the rest of the
party who were a little late.
At last there was a bustle, a murmur of voices and laughter in the
hall--then entered Sylvie, Ida, and their guests--lastly Bryant Van
Zandt, on his arm--Mme. Leonie!
"Ah, girls! ah, Eliot!" Sylvie cried out, in pretty triumph. "See what
a charming surprise I have brought you. Madame Leonie will honor us by
taking supper under our roof."
Not a tremor on the part of the actress betrayed the fact that she had
ever seen before the two to whom she bowed with stately grace. For
them, they were too amazed by her matchless impudence to even remind
her of the past, and bowed coldly in acknowledgment of the introduction.
Turning away with Sylvie, they heard her say, in clear, full tones:
"Ah, Madame Van Zandt, what an aristocratic-looking young beauty is
Mrs. Eliot Van Zandt! She is no doubt of one of the finest old families
of Boston."
Sylvie's cruel voice answered maliciously:
"On the contrary, a little nobody that Eliot picked up somewhere on a
Southern tour."
The eyes of the young husband and wife met, his indignant, hers wet
with tears.
"After all, it is true, I am a little nobody," she said, faintly. "Oh,
Eliot," with sudden animation, "what if we should force Madame Lorraine
to tell us the truth to-night--to own frankly who and what I am?"
"You are Una Marie Van Zandt, and my wife. The past need not matter, my
darling," he replied, tenderly.
But the idea had taken complete possession of Una.
"Eliot, it maddens me to hear your brother's wife always flinging that
slur upon me--a little nobody! Let us force Madame Lorraine to tell
the truth to-night. She is in your power, for although her conspiracy
against your life failed, she is amenable to the law for the wicked
attempt. Let us seek a private interview with her, Eliot. Let us
threaten her, frighten her into the confession of my origin, however
humble," pleaded Una, with impassioned fervor.