Josephine’s face lighted at those last words, and a wicked gleam leaped into her black eyes.
“No, I did not,” she returned, trying to call a happy smile to her false lips. “And—and—you have heard, then?” and, dropping her darkly fringed lids as if in confusion, she played with some flowers which she held in her hands, and looked the modest bride to perfection at being addressed by the title she had so lately assumed.
“Yes, I have heard of—or at least I saw your marriage in a paper which was sent me recently,” Star answered, trying hard to steady her voice, and resolving that the girl who hated her so should not suspect the torture she was enduring.
But Josephine did suspect it, and was determined not to let her go without wringing her heart with something of the agony which she had suffered.
Lord Carrol had dared to tell her, in the midst of her humiliation, that he loved Star, and she was bound to be revenged in some way for it.
She had sent her the Cheshire Gazette, even as Star had mistrusted, but she had not expected to get any such satisfaction as this out of it.
She had been down to the American Legation and found out where Mr. Rosevelt was stopping, and then had marked that paragraph and mailed that paper to Star, just to arouse her jealousy and show her that she had been a guest in Lord Carrol’s home for a week.
It had never entered her head that she would only read the notice of that mock marriage, and believe it real, not observing that it was connected with the remainder of the article describing Lady Sherbrooke’s ball.
But she now saw that such was the case. Star believed that she was really Lady Carrol; and she knew something of what she must be suffering on account of it, and with a sense of cruel exultation she resolved to give the wheels of the rack that she was on another vigorous turn.
She felt that the lovers would without doubt meet before long—perhaps that very evening, for she had seen his lordship there only a short time previous to this meeting, and she was assured he would waste no time in coming to an understanding with Star; but now, while she had her in her clutches, she would make the most of her opportunity.