A Heart's Bitterness — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

r ee 2 Me ‘ nf * ~~ A HEART’S BITTERNESS. that her fortune? 949 scorned and hated her? Oh, what bliss to have heard such words from Norman Leigh! ‘To be invited, not to an Aus- tralian farm, but to the splendors of Leigh Towers; to be, not a colonist’s wife, but Countess of Leigh! Why was not ~ *‘ And, Helen, we will go and buy whatever you want, in furniture or china, and send it to the ship. I will get our _ passage by the ship that sails on Saturday week.” ‘¢ No, let'us buy all in Australia,” said Helen. ‘“We could not get there what is good enough for you.” ‘‘Anything is good enough for me; I am a wretched woman,” said Helen, bitterly. ‘“'T'o me you are an angel and a queen,” | ‘‘Let us go and buy a piano for you, and a guitar, and books. Do you want books? Let us forget these late ter- rible things. For me, I do not care. I have been used to the hard things of life, and to possess you will be my com- pensation for all. You will go to a hotel in Islington, — where no one will know you. Come, let us go, Helen.” She went. Kemp seemed intent on weaning her heart from all her troubles, and fixing it on himself. He seemed to try to buy her affection. He purchased for her flowers, fruit, jewels; he secured a handsome room, and commended her to the landlady’s care, saying they were to be married the next Wednesday, and sail soon for Australia. deeper and heavier grew the apathy of Helen; she seemed in a maze of hopeless misery. But For Kemp, freed from the prosecution which had threat- ened him, and sure, as he trusted, of Helen, he returned to his condition of a shrewd, practical man. He invested his money, and he bought many things needed in his home — and on his farm. No one could be more assiduous and de-. voted than he to Helen; but the more he pressed his atten- © tions on her, the more sadly she shrank from him. .He trusted that the long voyage would bring them nearer to- — gether; that new scenes would banish the memory of her = mortification and sorrows. On Tuesday morning he came to see her, and she said: «Come to my room; I have something to show you;” and — beckoned the landlady. . On the bed lay her bridal-dress, a white cashmere, with a little white velvet shoulder cape, and a small white velvet — m (¢ said Kemp. a JOO Ss (fo) (ee)