Part 50 (1/2)

Even as he spoke her breast heaved once--then again, and all was still.

Who shall describe the misery that surged over Gerald G.o.ddard's soul as he looked upon the still form and realized that the grandly beautiful woman, who for twenty years had reigned over his home, was no more--that never again would he hear her voice, either in words of fond adoration or in pa.s.sionate anger; never see her again, arrayed in the costly apparel and gleaming jewels which she so loved, mingling with the gay people of the world, or graciously entertaining guests in her own house?

He felt almost like a murderer; for, in spite of Dr. Hunt's verdict that she had died of ”sudden heart failure,” he feared that the proud woman had been so crushed by what she had overheard in Isabel Stewart's apartments that she had voluntarily ended her life.

It was only a dim suspicion--a vague impression, for there was not the slightest evidence of anything of the kind, and he would never dare to give voice to it to any human being; nevertheless, it pressed heavily upon his soul with a sense of guilt that was almost intolerable.

A message was immediately sent flying over the wires to New York to inform Emil Correlli of the sad news, and eight hours later he was back in Boston crushed for the time by the loss of the sister for whom he entertained perhaps the purest love of which his selfish heart was capable of experiencing.

We will not dwell upon the harrowing events of the next few days.

Suffice it to say that society, or that portion of it that had known the brilliant Mrs. G.o.ddard, was greatly shocked by the sudden death of one of its ”brightest ornaments,” and gracefully mourned her by covering her costly casket with choicest flowers; then closed up its ranks and went its way, trying to forget the pale charger which they knew would come again and again upon his grim errand.

The day following Anna Correlli's interment in Forest Hill Cemetery, Mr. G.o.ddard and his brother-in-law were waited upon by the well-known lawyer, Arthur Clayton, who informed them that he had an important communication to make to them.

”Two days previous to her death I received this note from Mrs.

G.o.ddard,” he remarked, at the same time handing a daintily perfumed missive to the elder gentleman. ”In it you will observe that she asks me to come to her immediately. I obeyed her, and found her looking very ill, and seemingly greatly distressed in body and mind. She told me she was impressed that she had not long to live--that she had an affection of the heart that warned her to put her affairs in order.

She desired me to draw up a will at once, according to her instructions, and have it signed and witnessed before I left the house. I did so, calling in at her request two witnesses from a neighboring drug store, after which she gave the will into my keeping, to be retained until her death. This is the doc.u.ment, gentlemen,” he remarked, in conclusion, ”and here, also, is another communication, which she wrote herself and directed me to hand to you, sir.”

He arose and pa.s.sed both the will and the letter to Mr. G.o.ddard, who had seemed greatly agitated while he was speaking.

He simply took the letter, remarking:

”Since you are already acquainted with the contents of the will, sir, will you kindly read it aloud in our presence?”

Mr. Clayton flushed slightly as he bowed acquiescence.

The doc.u.ment proved to be very short and to the point, and bequeathed everything that the woman had possessed--”excepting what the law would allow as Gerald G.o.ddard's right”--to her beloved brother, Emil Correlli, who was requested to pay the servants certain amounts which she named.

That was all, and Mr. G.o.ddard knew that in the heat of her anger against him she had made this rash disposition of her property--as she had the right to do, since it had all been settled upon her--to be revenged upon him by leaving him entirely dependent upon his own resources.

At first he experienced a severe shock at her act, for the thought of poverty was anything but agreeable to him.

He had lived a life of idleness and pleasure for so many years that it would not be an easy matter for him to give up the many luxuries to which he had been accustomed without a thought or care concerning their cost.

But after the first feeling of dismay had pa.s.sed, a sense of relief took possession of him; for, with his suspicions regarding the cause of Anna's death, he knew that he could never have known one moment of comfort in living upon her fortune, even had she left it unreservedly to him rather than to her brother.

Emil Correlli was made sole executor of the estate; and, as there was nothing further for Mr. Clayton to do after reading the will, he quietly took his departure leaving the two men to discuss it at their leisure.

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

”YOU WILL VACATE THESE PREMISES AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.”

”Well, Gerald, I must confess this is rather tough on you!” Monsieur Correlli remarked, in a voice of undisguised astonishment, as soon as the lawyer disappeared. ”I call it downright shabby of Anna to have left you so in the lurch.”

”It does not matter,” returned the elder man, but somewhat coldly; for, despite his feeling of relief over the disposition of her property, he experienced a twinge of jealousy toward the more fortunate heir, whose pity was excessively galling to him under the circ.u.mstances.

Although the two men had quarreled just before Monsieur Correlli's departure for New York, all ill-feeling had been ignored in view of their common loss and sorrow, and each had conducted himself with a courteous bearing toward the other during the last few days.