Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

a life that would be a living death to me?” “Good heavens, Helena! Do you feel like that?” cried her companion in a voice of anguish. ‘Have you ceased to love me—nay, do you actually despise me, as your words seem to imply? Have you for- gotten all the past?” “No; Lremember it but too vividly,’ she retorted, with passionate anger. ‘*[ would that I could blot it forever from my memory.” “Enough!” said the man, sternly, but in a voice that was hoarse with pain. “I will not sue fora re- luctant love, but I believe it would have been far different if I had not been @ poorman. IT know that you loved me once, and I believe thatif you thought I could give you wealth and a title, even now, you would not scorn me as you appear to do. I know that you love luxury and pleasure far too well to sacrifice them and share the life of one who could not give them to you. Your words have stabbed me to the heart, and I believe you incapable of loving any one but yourself. [I shall never sue to you again, but I shall at least assert myrights and authority enough to prevent you from committing a great wrong. Re- port says you are going to marry Lord Nelson Hart- well, but you shall never 80 wrong him or yourself simply to gratify your insatiable auibition.” “Allow me to makea slight correction,’ Helena replied, coldly. ‘‘Report is wrong for once. [I am not going to marry Lord Nelson Hartwell; although IT confess,” she added, with an undertone of malice “T should keenly enjoy wearing a duchess’ coronet.” “Then, perhaps, you haye transferred your affec- tions to that handsome young physician with whom T saw you in the aquarium last Tuesday,’ . ae “You saw me?” cried Miss Stewart, surftssee oo