A Heart's Bitterness — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

| eee A HEART’S BITTERNESS. ~ cannot When she went to the old palace of Cluny, looking from the Hall of the Baths, she saw in a corridor Helen Hope alone, apparently absorbed in copying embroidery. . She looked up, and bowed in an offended way, as the graceful figure of the Countess of Leigh drew near. «“T came to find you,” said Violet, in her gentle, entreat- ing yoice. ‘‘I wish to tell you I am sorry if I have hurt your feelings. I would not for the world—I am sorry I 33 She stopped, hesitating, for she was never good at ex- | planations, and Miss Hope’s cold, imperious gray eyes _ seemed looking her through and through, and scorching her '— — very soul. “JT see. It was your husband who forbade you.” ‘‘ He did not think it was well,” began Violet. <‘That you should see me?” interrupted Miss Hope. | “He was afraid of what I might tell you. I know him of old.” -** You know my husband?” cried Violet, startled inex- pressibly. ‘‘Yes, well. Better than you do, or you would not be ‘Lady Leigh.” ‘<1 do not believe it,” said Violet, turning red and pale. ** You do believe it. He knew me when he was engaged to Miss Ambrose—and before.” _ **That is an old story,” said Violet, feigning indifference, though her heart was in a terrible tumult. “‘It will never grow old to me,” said Miss Hope. > ‘I Ree have watched you two together. You do not care for him, but I loved him. Oh, you start! You had never heard of me. Yes, Lady Leigh, he has touched my hand, and - kissed my lips, and called me by my name, and given me __ gifts—this very bracelet that I wear; and now he pretends to you not to know me; he calls me an adventuress, and forbids my presence near you. What do you think of that a) or treachery?” | ; | In her fury Helen Hope had used one of Lord Leigh’s __-very expressions, and it struck coldly home to Violet’s sen- fi Pe 4,i @&% sibilities. [here was just enough of living truth in this garbled tale to give it an impressiveness that branded it on poor little Violet’s heart. She had stood rooted to the spot, as if held with a fatal fascination by Helen Hope’s voice _ and eye. Now she started. EomMmicbooks.co