A Heart's Bitterness — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

230 A HEART'S BITTERNESS. | That promise she meant now to claim. She was on her way to London to throw herself for help upon Keith’s friendship and his manly strength. She had learned by a ‘casual remark in one of Lady Burton’s letters, that Lord Keith was at his London house, detained there by certain business. To that house Violet directed her way taking acab at the station. Keith was in his library when the footman flung open the door, saying: | ‘“My lord, the Countess of Leigh!” . Kenneth turned; there stood the beautiful young countess, her babe in her arms, laughing and reaching for the white, plume wreathed about his mother’s hat. Behind the mother and child the tall, strong figure of Magery Rogers. eith sprang forward. ‘Violet! Countess Leigh! Is it possible?” Violet met him, and with the beautiful look deepened in her sweet, brown eyes, put her son in Keith’s arms. ‘Kenneth, I have come to claim your promise for my boy. You said you would be his friend forever. He needs help; they are trying to rob him of all he has, even of his name, and he has no helper but you.” Keith received the child loyally, and holding the mother’s hand in his, said, gravely: “Violet, all that a deathless friendship, all that brotherly love, all that youth, and health, and confidence, and some knowledge of the world, can do—all that an Englishman and an English peer can do—is at your service. Speak, and I devote myself entirely to you, to your child, to your hus- - band, until all your wishes are accomplished.” “‘God grant it,” said the deep voice of Dame Magery, ‘for we are in a sore strait. at Leigh.” — “Violet,” said Keith, ‘‘how is it that Leigh is doing nothing?” ‘‘ He is sick,” said Violet. “‘ He seemed overwhelmed, and in an apathy, and he has taken large quantities of opium. I have sent Sir Rogerto him. He rouses to do — nothing?” «You wish me to see the lawyers, and act and feel as I - would if I were in Leigh’s place—as if my title were im- pugned, as hisis?”. “© Yes, Kenneth, that is what I want.” Eomicbooks.co