"It is false—all false—so help me Heaven!" Hubert panted. That was all that he could say.
The sound of the commotion within had reached the street, and had brought two of the night-watchmen hurrying to the scene. Their loud peal at the bell brought down a servant, who admitted them at once. In a trice they had sprung up the broad stair-way to the landing above, from whence the excited voices proceeded, appearing on the threshold just in time to hear Gerelda's terrible accusation. Each laid a hand on Hubert Varrick's shoulder.
"You will have to come with us," they said.
Mrs. Varrick sprung forward and flung herself on her knees before them.
"Oh, you must not, you shall not take him!" she cried; "my darling son is innocent!"
It was a mercy from Heaven that unconsciousness came upon her in that moment and the dread happenings of the world were lost to her. There were the bitterest wailings from the old servants as the men of the law led Hubert away.
In the excitement no one had remembered Gerelda; now the servants carried her to a boudoir across the hall, and summoned a doctor.
"If this poor girl recovers it will be little short of a miracle," he said.
Through all this commotion Jessie Bain slept on, little realizing the tragic events that were transpiring around her. No one thought of awakening her. The sun was shining bright and clear when she opened her eyes on the light the next morning.
How strangely still the house seemed! For a moment Jessie was bewildered. Had it not been that the sun lay in a great bar in the center of the room—and it never reached this point until nearly eight in the morning—she would have thought that it was very, very early.