A Heart's Bitterness — page 271: what you’re looking at

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

A HEART’S BITTERNESS. 263. ‘* Certainly I cannot dispute the selection, and I never thought of his making such,” said Violet. ‘Then she laid down the Lord Chancellor’s letter, and noticed the other. ‘* Here is one from Lord Keith,” she said, breaking the seal. She read aloud: ‘To THE HonoraBLE Countess oF LreicH—Drar Mapam: The Lord Chancellor has appointed me one of the guardians of your son, the infant-Earl of Leigh, and I have found myself unable to resist the urgency with which he pressed the office upon me. I trust I shall fulfill my duties for the child’s good, and to your contentment. Lord Alwood, my co-guardian, has been called to Scotland; and, as it is necessary to confer with you on the proper plans for the future, I pro- pose to wait on you at the Towers next week. Ishall trespass but two days on your solitude. My mother sends her tenderest regards, and begs that you will receive her, with me, as she is longing to see both you and Miss Haviland. Your humble servant, ‘* KENNETH KEITH,”’ Violet had not seen Keith when he came to the Towers for the funeral. She had parted from him at the railroad — station in London, after he had won her case for her. But — the solemn days which had passed since then, and the ter- rible tragedy which had fallen upon her life, seemed to di- vide her, by years, from the girl whom Kenneth Keith had loved and mourned. Her future and her present were ali for her child. : It was in this mood that, when Kenneth Keith came with his mother, she moved to meet him, a pathetic little figure, in her widow’s cap and weeds. The rector and Mr. Storms were also there, and Violet asked the rector to give her his arm to dinner, while Kenneth escorted his mother. When they returned from the brief and silent meal, Ken- neth said: | ‘Lady Leigh, I wished to confer with you and Mr. Storms, as I am about tg leave England for some time. My little ward will scarcely need much of my care at present, and my co-guardian, the marquis, can perform all the duties that might fall to either of us. I think the little earl will suffer no detriment from my absence. Iam going to India and China, and probably shall be away two years.” Violet did not know that she had been shrinking from the future, and.from meeting Lord Keith, until the sudden leap of relief which her heart gave at hearing he was going from England. She looked up at him almost gratefully, as she said, ‘‘She did not wish his guardianship to be a bur- Eomicbooks..co