‘Den missy shall see him,’ replied the servant soothingly.
‘Will you manage it for me, Jessica?’ asked the girl eagerly; ‘and without saying a word to mamma. Will you find out where Monsieur de Courcelles has been taken, and if I can possibly get permission to visit him, and if there will be a trial, and when? Find out everything, Jessica, and let me know to-morrow morning, and you shall have the pair of gold bangles papa gave me last birthday. Stay! you shall have them now,’ continued Quita, as she sprang from her bed and took the ornaments off her dressing-table. ‘Put them on your wrists, Jessica, and remember you are to find out everything!’
‘Missy berry good to ole Jessica,’ said the negress, as she clasped the glittering circlets on her dusky arms, and feasted her eyes on them; ‘and I’ll know de whole truth by to-morrow morning. Only missy must lie down again now, and keep all dis berry dark, or de ole missus nebber let me tell nuffin.’
The entrance of Mrs Courtney at this juncture with the opiate draught put a stop to further confidence, and Maraquita, having obediently swallowed it, soon lost sight of her troubles in sleep. Mrs Courtney dismissed Jessica for the night, and lay down by her daughter’s side; but it was long before she followed her example. She trembled not only for the fright she had gone through, but for the influence she feared it might have upon Maraquita’s future.
‘Poor child!’ she thought, as she contemplated the lovely face, now tranquil in slumber on the pillow beside her, ‘she is passing through a terrible ordeal. I only trust it may not cause a rupture between Sir Russell and herself. I am certain he suspects something. I did not half like the look with which he received my explanation of the matter. It was the most unfortunate thing in the world that that fellow should have been planted right in Maraquita’s way as she left the room. Two minutes sooner or later, and she would not have seen him. Now, I hardly dare to think how it may end. If he is condemned to death, she certainly must not hear of it: I must invent some reason to Sir Russell for taking her away. Her emotional nature would break down altogether under such a strain. What an awful thing it is that she should ever have fallen into his clutches!’ And Mrs Courtney sighed over it until she fell asleep.
As soon as the morning broke, Maraquita having passed a good night, and everything being tranquil at Government House, she accompanied her husband to Beauregard for the day, for all the planters were entertaining grave fears for the continued submission of their coolie hands, and it was not thought advisable to leave the estates for long at a time without a ruling eye. Her departure was the signal for a long conference between Lady Russell and old Jessica. The negress had ascertained that it was possible for the friends of the prisoners to obtain access to them through a written order from the Governor, but that the privilege would only be extended in the case of relations.
‘That renders it impossible!’ exclaimed Quita despairingly, for she was not a woman with the wit to overcome difficulties.
‘How so, missy?’ demanded Jessica. ‘Why impossible? I can get order quick enough.’
‘You, Jessica? But Sir Russell knows you. Besides, he would never believe you were related to Monsieur de Courcelles.’
‘Oh, missy, I not going work dat way at all. Course he not gib it to me; but if missy gib me five-dollar note, dat half-caste woman Rosita will go swaer she’s de oberseer’s aunt, or his moder, and want speak to him with her daughter—dat’s you, missy. Den you put veil over your face, and big cloak, and go with Rosita and see de oberseer.’