A Heart's Bitterness — page 118: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

© 110 A HEART'S BITTERNESS. hatchet! This appalling figure whirled down upon the pal- lid little countess, screaming: ; : > *£Diel witch, die!” CHAPTER XXVIII. ‘WHY DID YOU NOT LET ME DIE?” Thus, like Iphigenia, with a “bright death glittering at her throat,” Violet saw no more. Kae She was dimly conscious of a rush and crash in the - bushes, that she was seized by the shoulder and flung back, and that before and above her, between her and death, stood the form of Kenneth Keith. In an instant, not being given to swooning, Violet col- lected herself to see the unarmed but well-knit figure of Lord Keith planted in the narrow space between herself and the maniac. Keith’s arms were crossed, his head thrown back; his eyes, steadfast and commanding, held the reluc- tant gaze of the man who through rum-madness had be- come a beast. How long he could so have dominated him — eannot be told. ‘Three men came dashing down the road, the first on _ horseback, who, suddenly flinging a broad leather band over the insane creature’s shoulders, jerked it back with a buckle, and had him firmly pinioned, the hatchet drop- ping at his feet. _ **Jt’s Saunders, the smith, my lord,” cried ono of the men. ‘‘He’s clean and forever out of his head along of drink. He got away from us while we was watching for _ this keeper to come carry he to ’sylum. He might have been the death of you and Lady Leigh.” _ Lord Keith said not a word; the peril to Violet had been so awful and imminent that he needed time to col- lect himself. _ Violet, still lying almost breathless on the turf, and un- able to believe in her sudden danger and escape, saw the three men carry off the shouting and rebelling Saunders, his burly strength, nurtured in the smithy, and now in- _ tensified by madness, threatening to overpower his captors. __ When he was finally taken round a turn in the road, — Violet lifted herself up and shook the dust from her 4 : (e(eyAniicel exeve) <S Col