A Heart's Bitterness — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

~ A HEART’S BITTERNESS. | 113 _ She looked so wan and weary when she reached her room that Kate brought her a cup of tea, and then brushed out her silken rings of dark hair, and tied them back with a ribbon, and put on her white pique dressing-robe. ‘* Now, leave me until time to dress for dinner,” Violet said to Kate. ‘‘ Do up my cream-colored silk with rose rib- — bons. I shall wear it to-night. And get me pink gerani- — ums from the conseryatory to wear with it.” When Kate was shut up with her sewing, Violet stole softly from her room to the apartment of Lady Burton. CHAPTER XXIX. ‘HE IS THE ONE LOVE OF MY LIFE.” ‘*Come,” said Lady Burton, in response to Violet’s faint knock. She was lying on her sofa resting, and when’ the door swung open, and showed the little Countess of Leigh, pale as a snow-drop, clad in white, dark, nervous rings under her sweet brown eyes, the motherly arms of her friend were held out to her, and Violet, with a cry, sprang forward, and hid. her face on the bosom of the one who truly loved her. | Lady Burton softly stroked the silken hair, murmuring: — ‘«My darling, my dear little girl, what is grieving you?” With shrinking shame and sensitive self-scorn, Violet had been hiding her miserable story in her heart, and wear- ing smiles and cheerfulness, even in her saddest hours, un- til she had deceived Lady Burton herself. The hour for reserve was passed ; her womanly sense told her that safety now lay in this friend and counselor; but her only answer for a time was wretchedly sobbing in Lady Burton’s armgy . ‘‘What is it?” said Lady Burton, caressingly. ‘What has troubled the lovely little chatelaine of the Towers? — Have titles, and fortune, and happiness oppressed you, Vio- let?” eee 5 i J ‘s Vs, i * 4 * oy a pe Ca aS ag wer | : Ay eas, eee Silla EY ee PT aed Poe ye ui? ae al ‘ese sales’ We | ay bee ‘‘ Happiness! Oh, Lady Burton, Jam the most misera- ble woman in the world. Who could be so wretched asl ‘Dear child, how little, it seems to me, you know of sorrow? What can I do for you, my darling?” ee ~~ comic =A toy n°) oO