A Heart's Bitterness — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

A HEART'S BITTERNESS. = =———~«CTSCit*s Helen had made her own use of the brief time—less than three days—of Kemp’s trip to Shields. She had found that, _ Violet Leigh had been summoned to London for a confer- ence. Immediately Helen sent for an acquaintance of her own—a woman of about her age and size, with dark face ig eaia hair. Heleh requested her to come to her about usk. ‘*Now,” she said, ‘‘I want you to change clothing with me, and stay here at the Golden Cross in my place. See no one; keep the room very dark; ring for the chambermaid, and tell her to bring you tea and toast at noon, as you have a sick headache, and will not rise. Keep your face to the. ~ wall. I will come back to-morrow evening.” ‘‘And for what is this?” asked her friend, as they changed clothes. ‘Merely so I can prove I was here, if am declared to have been somewhere else,” said Helen. ‘Trust me to act your part,” said her friend. “It ig little to do for you, when you have been so kind to me, and ~ shared your salary with me when I have been ill.” Leaving her friend in her place, Helen took a night train a to Sussex, and went to Leigh Towers. «* An old lady wishes to see my lord,” said a servant, going next morning to the room where Lord Leigh was moodily trying to interest himself in studying a system of probabili- — ties in returning members. ‘‘Let her come in,” said Leigh, flinging his pamphlet across the room. A woman in rusty black, white-haired, a stoop in her _ shoulders, entered. As soon as they were left alone, she ~ locked the door, pulled off the white hair and widow’s bon- net, took out the padding that made the change in her : shapely shoulders, and stood forth—Helen Hope! ' **Norman, have you yet learned my power?” ‘‘T understand what you have done. Go and do your ~ _ worst. Why do you come here?” ‘‘ Because my heart misgives me; I cannot ruin you, Nor- _ man,” It struck Lord Leigh that he might make terms with his enemy if he tried kindness. He held out his hand and oN said, softly: ‘© After all this, is there still affection in your heart for > 4 me, Helen?” comicbooks.co