A Queen of the Stage by Fred M. White

Sefton would have kept the matter quiet if he could, but that was impossible. For the next few days people talked of nothing but the extraordinary way in which the mystery surrounding Mr. Vane's death had been solved. Certain extracts from the diary had been published, which demonstrated that it was not a case of suicide. In the excitement Gerald Rashleigh's affairs were almost lost sight of, but that was a small matter, by comparison, and mainly concerned Rashleigh and his intimate friends. He was free to appear in public, and as soon as he was fit to travel went off to recuperate at Sandgate along with his sister, Vera Barrington. About the same time the play in which Vera was appearing had suddenly ceased to attract, so that she found herself temporarily out of an engagement. She regarded her release as an unqualified blessing. What most she needed was change of air and thorough rest from worry and anxiety. Her husband did not trouble her much, for he was paying the penalty of his follies in the shape of a complete breakdown, which left him as helpless and vacant as an idiot child. It would not be long, so the doctors informed Vera, before she would be free of him for ever.

"I hope you won't think me stony-hearted if I say I am glad," she said to Elsie. "You cannot conceive what anxiety that poor creature has caused me. No, I never want to see him again. All I desire is to go right away and be quiet. In future I shall be able to call my income my own, and before long be able to save enough money to buy the cottage that I am thinking about. I am young, and life is not over for me. Now, what I propose to do is this. There is a place at Sandgate upon which my heart is set, and I mean to go there for a couple of months. I will take Gerald and Iza with me. She doesn't wish to go to her own people although, I understand, they will be glad to see her. We ought to be happy there."