CHAPTER LXXVI.

THE CASKET OF DIAMONDS.

"When we had read the letters and the journal, I tied them together, and sat down to talk the matter over with James, who is as good as a lawyer any day.

"'Where is our master now?' I said. 'What time is it?'

"'It is nine. I think he may soon be in Mrs. Dennison's parlor; for Cora told me that her lady wished to try on the wedding-dress, and hoped Mr. Lee would come in when it was complete. I took the message, and he answered, 'Very well.'

"'James,' I said, 'we have no time to lose. Is there no way by which I can get into Mrs. Dennison's rooms before the master comes in?'

"James thought a little, and said, 'Yes, it will be easy. When Mrs. Dennison is dressed they will go into her parlor. It opens from her bedroom by an arched doorway hung with silk curtains. When they leave the bedroom, I will let you in.'

"He went out to see what was going on, and came back all in a hurry, opened the door, and whispered, 'Come, quick!'

"I went, and in two minutes was in a large bedroom, warmed up like sunset with the light that came pouring through the broad red curtains which hung between it and the next room.

"'Step softly, and hide somewhere if they come in,' whispered James.

"'I will,' says I.

"Then I crept up to the curtain, pushed the red folds back a trifle, and looked in.

"It was a large room, lighted, like our drawing-room, with a great chandelier, and furnished beautifully. _She_ and Cora were standing under the blaze of lights, all in a flutter of pride. It's no use, Miss Hyde: I've wanted to think that woman wasn't good-looking, but it's fighting against one's own eyes. There she stood, with that wedding-dress of white moire antique a-sweeping down her tall figure, and lying behind her like ridges of snow on the carpet. All down the front and around the neck, which was smooth as a japonica leaf, lace was fluttering, till the whole dress looked soft as snow. On her head she wore a sort of crown made of pearls like the mistress's necklace that she thought so much of, and from under that fell a lace veil that looked like frostwork on a window, and covered her from head to foot.

"Cora was spreading down the veil as I looked in. Then she stepped back and had a good survey.

"'Will it do?' said Mrs. Dennison, drawing herself up proud as a peacock.

"'It's superb!' answered Cora.

"'We will make it a little more perfect before he comes in,' says Babylon; and, going to a desk, she took out a long morocco case, and opened it under the light, when a flame of fire flashed out of it.

"Cora took the box out of Babylon's hand.

"'From him?' says she.

"'Yes,' answers Babylon, curving her neck.

"'How much did they cost?'

"'Of course he did not tell me that, Cora. Ten or fifteen thousand dollars, I suppose; but they are nothing to what I'll yet have.'

"'You will not wear them to-morrow?'

"'Well, no. It would be a little too much, I fear; but we will put them on now, just to try the effect.'

"'No,' says Cora, looking very stubborn; 'I want these. It's no more than fair.'

"'Cora!' cried Babylon, with fire in her eyes.

"'Why not?' says Cora. 'You have promised over and over again to provide for me when you had the means. Here is something sure.'

"'Cora, this is too impudent!'

"'Why? Is it wrong for sisters to share each other's good fortune, especially when one has done as much to earn it as the other?'

"Babylon doubled up her white fist, and looked a whole thunder-gust from under her bent eyebrows.

"'Sisters! How dare you?'

"'Because I am your sister.'

"'You! whose mother was a black slave!'

"'And my father your father! What can you say against him?'

"Babylon seemed to struggle against her temper, and got the better of it.

"'Give me those diamonds, Cora. Of course I do not dispute what you say, and always meant to make you independent; but not after this fashion. Wait till this ceremony is over and I have control of sufficient means. You must see that it would be ruin to part with these.'

"'I cannot help that. What security have I that you will keep your word when you are married? It never has been kept. The truth is, I mean to stay in this country, where my color is not sneered at, and I must have the means.'

"'But have I not promised?'

"'Yes, a good many times; and I mean that you shall perform too! This ceremony shall never take place till I am sure of that!'

"Babylon grew pale as a ghost; something seemed to swell in her throat.

"'Give back the diamonds,' she said, speaking as if she had a cold; and you shall have a written promise for twice their amount three months after I am married.'

"'When?'

"'Now. I will write out the paper at once.'

"'Well, but remember it is made out to Cora, _your half-sister_, or I will not take it.'

"Mrs. Dennison came to a little table that stood close by the arch, and, kneeling down on one knee, began to write. She seemed to hold her breath, and was pale as the pearls on her head. I could have touched her with my hand, but I stood still as a mouse until the paper was written. Cora came and looked over her shoulders as she signed her name. Just as it was done, there came a knock at the door, and both the women started away from the table, leaving the paper on it. I reached my hand softly through the curtain, and got it safe just as Mr. Lee came in.

"Babylon was white as a sheet, and shook so that the dress rustled around her.

"'Is she not beautiful, sir?' says Cora, looking as innocent as a lamb.

"Mr. Lee smiled. Oh! Miss Hyde, isn't he grand? But in a minute his face changed, and, coming up to Mrs. Dennison, he took her hand and kissed it.

"'How pale you are! Does the thought of to-morrow terrify you so much?'

"She gave him one of her looks, and drew closer to him, like a lamb wanting shelter. He bent toward her, and, as Cora slid out of the room, put his arm around her waist, whispering something that I was too mad to hear.

"I couldn't stand it. My poor mistress seemed to whisper, 'Now, Lottie, I trust to you!' I pushed the curtains aside, and, walking right straight in, stood before them.

"'Mrs. Dennison,' says I, 'let go of my dead lady's husband. Mr. Lee, an angel has just come down from heaven to save you from a wicked, wicked fiend. I, a poor girl, am doing her work. Step back, Mrs. Dennison, till my master reads these letters, and this journal, with its purple cover and heaps of sin inside. If you want to know all about the bad heart of this woman, read it,' says I to Mr. Lee again; 'then ask her to look into your eyes if she dares.'

"The woman turned on me with her great scared eyes--saw the journal in my hand--gave a wild look at the table--staggered toward the curtains--flung them back with an outward dash of her arms, and fell upon the floor of the other room. As the red curtains closed over her, I reached out the papers to Mr. Lee, and whispered, with tears in my eyes:

"'Oh, master! read them for her sake, who loved you so dearly.'

"Mr. Lee put me back so fiercely that I almost fell. He went right up to the woman where she lay shivering and shaking till her white dress heaved and fluttered like a snow-heap in the wind. He was pale as a sheet, and his eyes looked mad as fire when he turned them toward me; but I stood my ground like a marble image planted on a rock. I hadn't come sailing over the raging ocean, like a pelican in the wilderness, to be looked down by him or fainted down by her--not I, if I know myself, which I think I do.

"'My darling,' says he, bending over her, 'why should the sight of this wild girl agitate you so? She can have no influence on me.'

"Babylon seemed to get strength from this. She lifted up her head, flung the veil back from her face, and looked me through and through with her wild eyes.

"'She is put up to this. They hate me. It is another effort to prejudice you against me. You remember the last. Now they will no doubt resort to forgery. People who write anonymous letters will not hesitate to go further. Oh! they will separate us--they will separate us!'

"'Is this book a forgery?' says I, holding up the purple journal. 'Is this writing yours?'

"Her face seemed to cramp up; her lips turned blue-white.

"That moment Cora made a leap upon me, and snatched at the book like a hungry wolf; but I wrenched it away from her, and pressed myself back against the wall, holding it behind me.

"That moment James came in and stood by me like a hero, as he is.

"'No you don't,' said I; 'no person touches this book till Mr. Lee has read it.'

"Mrs. Dennison turned her eyes upon me--such beautiful begging eyes--that, if it hadn't been for my dead lady, I might have given up the book; but I thought of her, and was firm as a rock. 'Leave this room,' said Mr. Lee, turning upon me like a lion. 'How dare you come here!'

"'My dead lady, your wife, commanded me to come,' I answered, feeling myself grow tall and strong. 'She was murdered by that woman, and you are bound to know it. Read this--it is in her own handwriting.'

"'It belongs to my lady. The imp of Satan stole it!' cried Cora, fierce as a wild-cat. 'No one has a right to read it.'

"Mr. Lee had helped Babylon to her feet, and stood, with one arm around her waist, looking from her to me.

"'It is mine,' she whispered; 'make her give it up.'

"'But I have read every word of it. I have left a copy at home, which Miss Hyde has now. A minute ago you said it was a forgery; now, you both own up--you and your yellow sister there.'

"At this, Mr. Lee seemed to be turning into stone, all but his eyes, that shot fire at me.

"'What does she mean?' asked Babylon. The words dropped from her like lead. It seemed as if she hadn't the strength to speak.

"'She's crazy!' says Cora. 'My mistress never had either brother or sister.'

"'Hadn't she?' says I. 'Just look at this paper, Mr. Lee, and then ask her how she came to write there that this yellow girl is her father's child. I heard the impudent creature threaten her, if she didn't give up the diamonds you sent here this morning, or write this promise just so.'

"'The diamonds!' said Mr. Lee, loosening his arm from Babylon's waist and looking in her face. 'How could this girl know about them?'

"Babylon shivered, and her eyes seemed to shrink back under her eyelids when she looked at the table and saw that the paper was gone. Cora crept softly up to where I was standing, and whispered: 'Half the money if you hold your tongue. If you don't, I'll kill you!'

"I gave the creature one of my looks, handed the journal over to James, and held the paper open between my two hands, before Mr. Lee's eyes. He could not help but read it. Babylon lifted her hand as if to strike it down, but it dropped by her side when she saw that he was reading, and she leaned against the door-frame, clenching at the red curtains in a spasm. Oh! she looked awful splendid with her white dress pressed against the red curtains, that shook around her like flaming fire. The diamonds on her head seemed to burn through and through her veil, but her white face was cramped worse than ever, and I almost thought she would drop down dead at Mr. Lee's feet.

"He took the paper from my hands and read it through. Then he looked once or twice from Mrs. Dennison to Cora, who was turning whitish-gray, and looked awfully.

"'Is there any explanation of this strange paper?' he said; and his voice seemed to come out of a heap of ice, it had changed so.

"Babylon opened her lips, but they would not give out the lie that was ready, I haven't the least doubt. But Cora came forward bold as brass.

"'It is a forgery!' she said; 'the lady never promised me anything after she was married. I am no more her sister than that imp of Satan is.

"'But if this paper was a forgery, how did you know what it contained?' said Mr. Lee, in the same cold way. And, with this, he walked out of the room without saying another word.

"Babylon made a spring toward the door when he went out of it, with her hands clenched together, and her veil streaming out behind; but when she saw that he never turned or looked back, her knees gave way, and she fell in a white heap on the carpet.

"I began to feel sorry for the poor creature then, and tried to help her up, but Cora pushed me away; and would have sent me whirling through the door, but James caught me in his arms, and so seemed to lead me out. When we were safe in the passage, I told James to take the journal right to his master's room and strike while the iron was hot, or those two sea-serpents would get around him again.

"He went--like a good fellow as he is--and I shut myself up in my room, knowing well enough that I had done right, but feeling sorry in my heart for poor Babylon all the same. So I sat down by the window and had a good cry all to myself.

"In half an hour James called me to his master's room. He was white as marble, and tears stood in his eyes. He took my two hands in his, pressed them hard, then, leaning one elbow on the table, covered his face with his hand. I saw great tears drop through his fingers; they broke my heart. The first thing I knew, down I had fallen on my two knees, and was kissing his other hand as if he had been my dear mistress who is dead and gone. That night I told him everything about Miss Jessie, and all your goodness. Oh! how he thanked me! Miss Hyde, don't ever want to see a man cry; it's enough to break one's heart!

"The next morning Mrs. Dennison and her servant had left the hotel. In three days I shall be on my way home. Do be glad to see Lottie; for she feels like a bird far away from its nest, and has been, ever since she left the Ridge.

"Your old friend till death, LOTTIE."