"Jewel, you must not go!" Mrs. Meredith exclaimed, with mixed entreaty and command, but the girl laughed wildly.
"I will go, if I die for it," she said, fiercely. "He has driven me mad by his love for another, and I am not answerable for what I do. Yes, I shall follow him, and if I find him there by her side I shall be tempted to kill them both!" and she sunk upon the floor in wild hysterics.
[CHAPTER XLIII.]
Her jealous wrath, her wild threats, ended as she meant they should. The Merediths were forced into compliance with her wishes. They could not persuade her to remain at home, and they dared not let her go alone.
But this terrible revelation of her mind and temper thoroughly disgusted the Merediths, and made them anxious over Laurie's future.
"Who would have dreamed that she was such a shrew? Why, there was murder in her eyes as they flashed and glowed. She will lead our brother a miserable life, I am sure," Edith said to her sister, as they hurriedly packed their trunks for the unexpected visit to the Capital City.
"Yes, and how sweet and gentle she seemed to be before she was sure of Laurie. She was deceiving us all, then, in order to forward her cause, and she succeeded so well, too, for we all praised her to Laurie, and gave him no peace until he proposed to her. How she takes on the airs of a queen. I should not be sorry if Laurie would jilt her outright!" Io declared, spiritedly.
But, reckless in her fierce wrath and jealousy of their good or bad opinion, Jewel had gone home to prepare for her trip. She rang the bell furiously for Marie to come and pack her things.
No one responded at first; but when she went angrily down-stairs to inquire for the delinquent, Mrs. Wellings started up from her doze in the arm-chair to ask, stupidly: