A Heart's Bitterness — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

18 are A HEART'S BITTERNESS. rather on the room than on Violet. _He scanned every cor- ner. It was a room without concealments—no closets, no heavy draperies. : << Tf that demon has done this,” he said, between his set teeth, his usually indifferent, grave face contracting in a look of rage, ‘‘I would feel equal to something desperate. But no! she cannot have been here.” ‘¢What is this?” cried a voice at his side. ‘‘ Oh, I knew something would happen!” It was Lady Burton. Mrs. Ainslie’s cry had reached an ear alert for sounds of woe. All that brilliant wedding-day i Lady Burton had been haunted by anxiety, and when that ee he one scream came to her, as she stood with some ot the lady’s maids in Violet’s boudoir waiting to see the bride dressed in her traveling costume, she felt the shrill cry of confirma- tion of her fears, and hastened to the room where was the new-made Countess of Leigh. << This is not an ordinary fainting fit,” said Lady Burton, as Sir Roger Parker bent over the still form, and Mr. and Mrs. Ainslie anxiously awaited his verdict. - << Tt looks like a severe and sudden neryous shock,” said the court physician ; ‘‘ yet that is quite impossible.” ‘< Certainly it is impossible,” said Lord Leigh. ‘‘She is = : all health and happiness, and hasnot been alone five minutes to-day.” She had been alone fifteen—a fatal fifteen. «She is reviving,” said Mrs. Ainslie, presently, and _ stole away to still any rumors that might arise among her ests. . Shortly life came back in tremulous thrills to that pros- trate form; the delicate color stole into the round cheeks; the pearly throat began to flutter with returning respira- tion, and then thesweet brown eyes opened wide. Sir Roger naturally thought that the faceof the young husband would be the most comforting sight for those lovely eyes, and _ stepped back to give place to his lordship, who bent over- his bride with a look of assured possession. Violet met that look with a gaze of horror and intense aversion. ‘Then the dainty form shook from head to foot, entire consciousness had come with a weight of woe; her hand, that soft little hand, whereon shone the diamond _half-circle of their engagement-ring, and the plain thick cir- _ cle given that morning at the sacred altar, was laid upon Eomicbooks (E(0)