A Heart's Bitterness — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

f +. ‘ “ A HEART’S BITTERNESS. 95 *« Edna, if you speak 50 coldly to me, look so coldly, you will drive me mad.” ‘“* Norman, I remember our past with kindness. I desire to be your friend, sister, helper. I cannot easily forsake old attachments. I am faithful by nature. But if you use such language to me, I shall simply cease to see you.” ““T know,” cried Leigh, “that you must think such words ill-fitted to aman, who, having protested love, and offered - you marriage, left you suddenly, and, after two letters, gave no further sign of remembrance, and in a year reappears before you married. Only let me speak this once. My vows of love were the real language of my soul. ‘To marry you was my one desire. But I came home here at the call of my business man, and he showed me that I had unhappily reduced my affairs to complete wreck; that my estates were abominably incumbered; and that open disgrace was ineyl- table within a year unless I repaired. matters with a pro- digious sum. Marriage with a great heiress was my one refuge. Such a marriage I made. No doubt I sinned ir- retrievably.” — ‘‘ Not irretrievably, if you make a good, faithful, tender husband to the woman to whom you owe your safety. It is open to you to repair the past and be a worthy man. We are speaking plainly, Norman. After you left me I learned that when, two years ago, you had fallen in love at first sight with me, you obtained your end by pretending to to make love to Helen Hope, my governess. You played with her for your own ends, and wrecked her life in doing so; for she really loved you. She showed me your notes and gifts, and it was that that proved to me you were not the man I could love and honor as my husband. What you tell me now deepens that assurance, because by no good means can a man ruin such a fortune as you did.” | ‘“ No, it was by evil means; but you, angel of an Hdna, could have saved me.” ‘‘ And I can save you still,” she said, bending her heav- _ enly face toward him, and laying her hand on his shoulder. «‘ Whatever the faults and follies of the past, let me help you to forsake them; and believe me, the first step, on the way of return, is to love and cherish this fair young bride, who has no shelter but-your heart.” Norman Leigh kissed her hand; she thought in acquies- cence. It was acquiescence compelled only by the assurance LH (E(0) Ecomicbooks