The night before she had fallen asleep in her own lovely, luxurious room, and the last sight her eyes had rested on was the handsome, smiling face of Miss Erroll, the governess.
But her sleep had been haunted by terrible nightmare dreams, and when she waked at last in that shabby room in the presence of her horrible old jailer, she thought that she was dreaming still.
Recoiling from the woman, she threw out her arms, groaning helplessly:
"Oh, those dreadful nightmare dreams! How they haunt me! Will not some one wake me, please? Martha, where are you? Come to me at once. Oh, Cissy! oh, mamma!"
Old Jane Crabtree came and stood over her scowlingly, snapping out:
"You an't dreamin', gal; you is wide awake!"
But it took her some little time to assure her captive that this was not a continuation of her terrible nightmare dreams.
When she at last convinced her that this was an awful reality, and boldly told her that Clifford Standish had brought her here in a drugged sleep, the terrible truth rushed over her mind.
"That wine Miss Erroll gave me was drugged! She was in the plot!" she cried, wildly.
The hag nodded sullenly, and Geraldine continued, passionately:
"He will never get my consent to marry him, never!"
And then she fell to pleading with the old woman for her liberty, promising to make her rich if she would only restore her to her friends.
But Jane Crabtree laughed her to scorn, sneering at the idea of Geraldine being able to reward her for her liberty.
Standish had cleverly prepared her for all that the girl might threaten or promise, by telling her not to listen to anything, as the girl was only a poor salesgirl from Siegel & Cooper's, on a salary of three dollars a week.
So the old witch grunted scornfully at her pleadings, threats, and promises, and presently went out, locking the door after her until she returned with a coarse breakfast of badly served food, from which the girl turned with loathing.
While she was absent, Geraldine rose and looked from the window to see if there was any chance of escape.
What she saw made her turn shudderingly back to the bright coal-fire, the only cheerful object in the poor room.
The window was very small, and the grimy panes were guarded by heavy iron bars.