A Heart's Bitterness — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

144 es A HEART'S BITTERNESS, - of her aunt Ainslie, met the younger girls going out with sa new governess—a treasure, Mrs. Ainslie said. } _ The governess was—Helen Hope! ~~ The three younger Ainslies about this time took) a won- derful fancy for their cousin Violet, and for making calls on her early, before the day of fashionable life had begun. They supposed this a spontaneous notion on their part, but, - in reality, it was craftily opened and kept up by the goy- erness. a The first morning they found Violet breakfasting in bed. | _ Leigh had been at the House of Peers late, and slept at his club. Violet had been at a great crush at the Countess. of Norfolk’s, and felt singularly wearied and depressed. When she heard that her three little cousins had called, she had them come up. ‘“‘T fear we intrude,” said Helen, quietly; ‘‘ but they would come; and their lives are so very quiet and dull.” “‘T’m so glad you brought. them,” said Violet, turning her soft, tender eyes to Helen. ‘‘Sit down, and let them talk. They are so artless, and I think they love me.” ‘Love you! Why, Violet, we love you to death!” and the three juveniles precipitated themselves on their cousin, and kissed her hands and hair and her little soft neck. Helen Hope slid into the chair close to Violet’s pillow, and some way, in a few minutes, had taken the tender, confi- dential tone of old friendship. Aided by the smiles and - prattling voices of the juniors, the breakfast went better. _ The broiled pigeon and wafer bread and tea were finished, _ and the children examined all the little golden spoons, and _ the gold-lined jugs, and their accommodating governess did not see when Kate filled their pockets with bon-bons. They must be anxious to come again; and, as Helen Hope coolly told herself, looking at their robust growth, ‘‘ it would take a deal of anything to hurt them.” _ Again and again they came, and, soon as the children _ went to the conservatory with Kate for flowers, or to the 3 ~ hts “het eee, ee . se Cee eA . ‘S,” + : ” ." . *, - . oe os | a ee gtd wiry. eS PT - a PS ee Ore ANS ch Ae oo te SR are O Vite +X u re = B 4¢ — ™, ~_ » - . A A oP bee Ne . a " . ae “. d ry ai ? : : . >. 7 . te . d --_ housekeeper’s room for unusual treats of conserves, Violet _ and Helen fell into coversation, and Helen. discovered that a Violet had a rooted antipathy to a certain Miss Ambrose, ie and had no idea at all that Edna Haviland had anything in - + common with that object of her irritation—also, she found that Violet was very unhappy, and believed herself failing in health, and wanted to die, and would not send fora phy- Eomicbooks.co 4 ee abt 4 Ts aX _ y Ssh: bag! kee th "Dihlaglt Sioa : $; Cae eo « . a: ‘