A Heart's Bitterness — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

66 A-HEART’S BITTERNESS. ~ *€T will meet you there.” | He was just turning from the carriage, when a figure came between him and the step, an arm was reached forth, and a woman’s voice said: ‘¢ You dropped this.’ Lord Leigh fairly snatched the handkerchief held out by the extended hand. | ‘Drive on! Why do you block the way?” he cried, angrily, to the coachman. ‘‘ Violet, do lean back in your seat. ‘To look about a crowd that way is surely bad form. From your remarks at dinner one would expect something better.” ‘‘T thought the person who gave you the handkerchief was the Englishwoman who was teaching me embroidery.” “Yes? Adventurers hang about everywhere.” ‘She said her name was Helen Hope.” «Took it out of a directory, no doubt.” } —_ **J was sure I saw her in the house to-night. She was watching you while you were at Lady Clare’s box.” ‘There, you-see, what trouble you get me into, by tak- ing up with stray adventurers,” said Leigh coolly. ‘‘ No doubt she will be begging me for fifty pounds, for a country woman in distress,” “But did you never meet her before?” _“ What nonsense!—to ask such a question!” ‘‘ But did you?” persisted Violet. ‘No, I did not,” said Leigh, tartly. | Violet was sure he was telling her an untruth, and she thought of it with angry scorn. Then she blamed herself for pressing him to it. But would not she have answered any question frankly? She felt sure she would. ene Meanwhile Leigh knew that the handkerchief given him contained a note, and he cursed his fate that he was pur- sued by Helen Hope. Finally in his dressing-room he unfolded the scrap of paper tied in one corner of the kerchief. ‘‘Meet me on the Pont de la Concorde, to-morrow evening at twelve o’clock, unless you prefer to see me at your rooms. . , ‘‘HELEN H.” One clear and open course was before Lord Leigh. He could haye allowed his enemy to pursue himto his own GCOMICDOOKS (E(e)