Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

HELENA RECEIVES A STARTLING NOTE. Helena Stewart darted with the speed of light over the lawn, and gained the house, sped up stairs to her own room, where, locking herself in, she’ sank, pant- ing and trembling, upon a chair, her face ghastly as the face of the dead. “Oh, what shall I do? He has traced me even here!’ she moaned, pressing her hand to her side to still the frightened beating of her heart. She sat cowering there for some time, the picture of abject fear and mental suffering. At last, however, she threw up her head with a defiant gesture. “What does it all matter?” she said, ‘‘He can prove nothing; and if he should betray me, it will not amount to anything, unless I choose to own—— I can- not—I will not—and yet my heartis divided. Percy Morton is a king among men; if [ could win him, the past would be a sealed book forever, the future a dream of delight. But that girl must be got out of the way, or he will become infatuated with her. She may win his lordship, and welcome, if he wants to make alow governess the future Duchess of Osterly,” and her beautiful lips curled with a eruel, mocking sinile. “Sheis pretty enough for any position, I am bound to admit’—one thing Helena Stewart never did was to underrate her enemies—‘well-educated, accomplished, and fascinating, and it’s evident he’d be delighted to have her, though I[ question if his aristocratic grandmamma would be willing to re- ceive any one so far beneath him socially. One thing is settled, however—/J shall never become the Duchess of Osterly, Mamima’s ambitious schemes to the con- trary Ee I will win Percy Morton, or no one—I will be no other man’s wife !” She arose as she said this, an expressioly OF TORE @ GE, a SA ee ERS EER lay ee Ze