Out of her anxiety had grown that engagement. He had yielded to her wishes, engaged himself to Jewel, and here were the consequences.
He had been too hasty, and when the girl, whom he could have loved with his whole heart, crossed his path, it was too late.
"And he might have won her, who knows?" she thought; for her keen eyes had noted that Azalia Brooke took a secret and curious interest in Laurie Meredith.
But something must be done to soothe the excited Jewel, and after a moment's silence, the matron said, gently:
"My dear girl, I am sure that you wrong Laurie by your suspicions. He is too honorable a man to deceive you and outrage your affections in such a cruel manner. I am convinced that he has gone South, as he stated to me, and that you will soon hear from him at a distance from Washington."
"And I am quite sure that he has gone to Washington, madame, to be near the girl I hate so bitterly, and I came here to inform you that I intend to follow him within twenty-four hours!" replied Jewel, with startling emphasis, springing to her feet and beginning to walk rapidly up and down the long room with swift, graceful movements that reminded the Merediths of the sinuous grace of the beautiful, deadly tigress.
These cultured, highly refined ladies gazed in amazement and consternation at Laurie's betrothed, and Edith cried out, indignantly:
"Really, Jewel, you must be out of your senses! What will people say?"
The beautiful pantheress paused a moment in her wild walk, and gazing at the speaker with lurid eyes, exclaimed:
"That will depend upon your mother and you, Edith and Io. If she will consent to go with me to Washington, taking you with her, no one can say anything. If she will not go, people will say that I was wronged and jealous and that I went after my recreant lover."