A Heart's Bitterness — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

A HEART’S BITTERNESS. 71 Violet viewed the decoction with disgust, and cried out: “Oh, Norman, must we go before I have seen any- thing.” | ; —** You needn’t go. I’ll be back ina week. I must give myself a little dip in life without you. I don’t think I was made for a family man.” ‘What! leave me here all alone?” cried Violet, in dismay. | , «You have four or five servants, and there are English — people about. You can’t expect me always to be tied to you, Violet.” . | She recalled that they had been married less than a month. , ‘“And Keith is coming. He’ll go about with you.” Violet’s lips quivered as she considered that Keith’s com- — ing would be as much pain as joy, and more peril than comfort. ‘““ Where are you going?” she asked, tremulously. ‘To Homburg.” Violet’ had ho idea what might lie wrapped up in the word Homburg. She mentally reviewed her geography, and told herself that Homburg was not so very far off. After all, — what difference did it make? She really had no loving ~ shelter in him, and she must learn to protect herself—to be strong in herself—as she had no one to lean on. - Thus it happened that within a month from her ill- omened wedding-day Violet was left alone in the little town. of Berne. — | : She spent two days reading novels on the balcony, or walking about the small Swiss city, in guardianship of Kate, her maid, amusing herself in the unexciting method of feeding Berne’s tutelar bears, and giving coin to _ sturdy Swiss children. . The third day, Violet, with a book, and Kate, with a roll of fancy work, set. off to spend.the morning in a little wooded plateau, where, through the openings.in the trees, the Bernese overland lay revealed in all its serene splendors. In the lush grass of this plateau lay couchant, like a young — lion, a youthful Saxon, large of limb, and frank of heart, lying with his yellow-curled head on his bent arm, his eyes on the distance, his thoughts with the woman he had loved _ and lost. Across the line of this dreamer’s vision moved, cutting off, with her small, piquant figure,, a view of the Gomicbooks.co