She was a sensitively organized child, proud as a young princess, and possessed of a high sense of honor; and grief over the threatened break in the family, together with fear of the opprobrium which she believed it would entail upon her idolized mother, as well as upon herself, had been preying upon her mind for several weeks; and now the climax had come, the cloud had burst, and, with the strenuous excitement and experiences of the day, had resulted in this nervous collapse.
Hours elapsed before Helen succeeded in soothing her into any degree of calmness, and when at last she fell into a deep sleep, from utter exhaustion, the forsaken wife found something very like hatred surging within her own heart toward the faithless man who had ruthlessly wrecked their happiness.
"Neither will I forgive him for imposing this lifelong sorrow and taint upon my child," she secretly vowed as she sat through the long, lonely hours of the night, and watched beside the couch of her daughter.
In due time, she received formal announcement that her husband had secured his divorce, and that she also was free, by the decree of the court; and, following close upon this verdict, came the news that John Hungerford, the artist, had gone abroad again to resume his studies in Paris.
It was significant, too, at least to Helen, that the same papers stating this fact also mentioned that the Wells Opera Company, which had just finished a most successful season in San Francisco, was booked for a long engagement, with Madam Marie Duncan as leading soprano, in the same city; the opening performance was set for a date in the near future.
CHAPTER III.
A BACKWARD GLANCE.
Helen Gregory Appleton was the only child of cultured people, who, possessing a moderate fortune, had spared no pains or expense to give their daughter a thorough education, with the privilege of cultivating whatever accomplishments she preferred, or talent that she possessed.
Helen was an exceptionally bright girl, and, having conscientiously improved her opportunities, she had graduated from high school at the age of seventeen, and from a popular finishing school at twenty, a beautiful and accomplished young woman, the joy and pride of her devoted parents, who anticipated for her not only a brilliant social career, but also an auspicious settlement in life.
Her only hobby throughout her school life had been music, of which, from childhood, she had been passionately fond. "I don't care for drawing or painting," she affirmed, "so I will stick to music, and try to do one thing well." And with no thought of ever making it a profession, but simply for love of it, she had labored tirelessly to acquire proficiency in this accomplishment, with the result that she not only excelled as a pianist, but was also a pleasing vocalist—attainments which, later in life, were destined to bring her rich returns for her faithful study.