A Heart's Bitterness — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

ee te: A HEART'S BITTERNESS. “Tord Leigh, what troubles you? What is it?” Lord Leigh reached up and seized the soft hand.. ‘Tam rewarded for my villainy. I married her for- tune. I hate my wife, and she hates me. Oh, why did I not face exposure and loss, and be a good man in the heaven of your guardianship?” «< Norman,” said Edna, firmly, ‘‘if you speak such words I shall leave you, and never see you again. My wish is to help you, if | may. But I cannot listen to such words about the wife you married less than two months ago. She can have done nothing to deserve them.” ‘“She has—she defies me—she flatly refused to invite you _ to our house, or make your acquaintance.” ‘©And since when,” said Edna, coolly resuming her brush, ‘‘ has a lady lost the right to choose her own society?” ‘‘ But it is a wife’s duty to obey and please her husband.” ‘As Tread life,” said Edna, ‘‘ marriage should be a field of mutual concessions. ‘l‘here should be a reciprocal study of each other’s tastes, and the husband, as oldest and strongest, should set this good example. Will you not tell me how my name came up, and this difficulty occurred ?” | Her tranquil voice calmed Leigh’s storm. He related, with only afew accidental changes, the recent discussion with Violet. Edna looked him in the eyes and smiled. — ** Foolish man, cannot you see what all that means? This poor girl has heard something about my name in con- nection with yours—some garbled account. She is jealous, and you are angry at what is really a compliment to you— an earnest of her care for you. Let her alone about me. Do not vex her. In some way we two shall get acquainted, and I will love her, and make her love me; and I will see that she abandons this jealousy, having no cause, as you and I are but friends.” | “Jealousy?” cried Leigh; ‘‘if she only knew how far foe you her petty airs and contradictions make her ook !” os “If you think to please me by condemning your wife,” said Edna, with coldness, ‘‘you are mistaken. You will only cause me to bless heaven that I did not get a husband capable of forgetting his altar vows, and unconscious of what he owes to a woman who is one with him in his flesh and his interests,” —- Eomicbooks.co