A Heart's Bitterness — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

204 A HEART'S BITTERNESS. ence for his own sex. With a babe’s instinct, he saw that Lord Keith was worthy of his infant confidence; so he leaped and crowed in his mother’s arms, and held out both his pearly and dimpled hands to the tall, fair Saxon in the door-way. Then little Violet was true to her growing womanhood, and relieved the situation of its painfulness. She went straight to Kenneth, and, holding out her child, said: ‘“My boy likes you, Lord Keith. Will you be his friend?” | ‘¢ Always! Forever!” exclaimed Keith, and the words seemed to him as some sacramental oath. ‘The love that must be rigorously withdrawn from the mother might be safely lavished on the child. He took Rupert in his clasp, kissed his lovely little face, and, with him in his arms, greeted his mother, and ex- plained his sudden coming. He would only remain to lunch, and return to the castle immediately after. After lunch, Kenneth and his mother went to the library, to discuss some alterations at Lady Burton’s dower house, and Kdna took Violet and the babe to her own rooms. The next morning, when Violet met Lord Leigh at break- fast, she told him of the happy visit she had had the day before. : ‘“‘And did you make my peace with that offended god- dess, Miss Ambrose Haviland?” said Leigh. “Oh, Norman, I quite forgot; but it is no matter. You are mistaken. She is not at all angry with you. She thinks Rupert perfectly lovely, and she is coming to our ball.” Py ‘‘And will, I suppose, favor us with her wedding-cards?” ‘« Not this season.” ‘“Isn’t she engaged to Alwood?” demanded Leigh. “Oh, no. She told him he must wait a year for her an- swer—at least a year to make up his mind—and if he asks again, then she will answer.” “Oh, a whole year! That is a cool affair. When will the year be up? ‘Take another bit of chicken, my dear.” “©Oh, thanks,” said Violet, flushed at the unusual kind- ness, as they breakfasted alone. ‘‘ The year will not be up till Aweust.” ‘That time will pass quickly,” said Leigh, with indif- ference. | (€(0) Gomicbooks