A Heart's Bitterness — page 201: what you’re looking at

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

— ae “— * . ws SILLS Bie ‘, y 1 oom T. se ae Lee htm Sel PP “ a Pal Fy NA TT EMR OM si yee cine OAM YN SRC, Saag Sly") ¢ pe mint eles wee ty a! Aire” ay ee _ Ke ‘ 7 ‘ LN A ait a Pet es pes Vue at #2 ‘Toy , P &". a % a ee E . mn Nor > A + { & vas “* ° - ce . fi; Be \ ~~ - ad A HEART’S BITTERNESS. 193 Lord Leigh, meanwhile, after the departure of Edna with Lady Burton, relapsed into daily deepening gloom. He said no unkind word to Violet; he was polite, inquired after her health, told her to have, and do, and be, just whatever she chose; but he kept his own rooms and the li- brary, or wandering over the estates, and was often abso- lutely silent during a whole meal. The thought of the child upheld Violet. There would at last be a love wholly hers, to which she could deliver her- self with intense, unselfish devotion. She planned to re- main at the lowers, and give up most of the time to the absorbing, blessed duties of a mother. Mrs. Ainslie had secured a nurse for the heir. She wasa stout, elderly lookiug woman, with a wig of light hair under an ample cap, very dark skin, heavy light brows, and wear- ing spectacles of a pale gray grass. Who is the woman, aunt?” asked Violet, anxiously. “Mrs. Dawson.” ‘* And who recommended her to you?” . ‘‘ A friend of mine, a very sensible person. Violet, you should not be so headstrong. You should leave these — things to me, as [ am a person of large experience.” ‘‘ But I feel as if some terrible trouble might come tous through the nurse,” urged Violet. “That is all nervousness. This Mrs. Dawson is very competent; and, if anything can counterbalance your folly in insisting on nourishing the child yourself, having her will do it. I shall have her waiting in the village.” ‘‘She shall not enter the house till the child is six weeks old, and I am able to superintend her,” said the little countess, contumaciously, and went off to comfort herself by sending one hundred pounds each to Dame Magery and to comely Mary Miller, who had solaced her in her wanderings. * * * * * *K ' There came a warm, ripe, glowing October day, when the — earth was steeped in sunshine, and leaf, and blade, and tree gave out rich balsamic odors, when suddenly from the high towers of the church at Leigh broke forth a jubilant ring- ing of bells. The cottage people crowded tothe doors, and smiled and nodded to each other: «‘There is a child at the Towers.” Then there was a pause, and the chimes in the Towers Eomicbooks (Eo)