A Heart's Bitterness — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

x z s ax Fe Pea . A HEART’S BITTERNESS. | 295 would ruthlessly have trampled her asthe mire beneath their feet. But her heart burned with jealous wrath against — Leigh, and she spoke: | ‘““T am engaged in marriage to a step-son of the late _ Countess of Leigh.” ‘‘Of the Countess of Lord Allan Leigh! Was she not a .. Spinster when she married my cousin?” cried the colonel. ““She was, or said she was, or thought she was, a widow,” ‘said Helen, quietly. Colonel Hartington and Lady Clare looked at each other. ‘*T had no idea of that,” said the colonel. *¢ Since the question was so important, I wonder you or your family did not investigate the antecedents of the ad- venturess countess,” suggested Helen. ‘“It was in my father’s time, and he was a man to take things easily, with the least trouble,” replied Hartington. ‘“It was culpable negligence!” ‘‘ As I said,” pursued the quiet, clear voice of Helen, ‘< I am engaged to her step-son. I have lived near the lowers, and know of the family there, and their claims. By acci- dent, in-conversing with the gentleman to whom I have referred, I discovered that the claims of the present lord were null and void; that he was not the lawful Lord of Leigh; and, looking at a Peerage, I found that you were his nearest kin; in fact, you were the legal successor of the late earl.” ‘“ What is this?” cried the colonel. ‘‘ This passes belief. What proofs have you of such statements?” ‘<7 know they are true,” cried Lady Clare. ‘‘I feel 1t.” ‘Not feeling, not intuition, but hard, solid facts, must satisfy lawyers and the highest court in the land, when a claim such as Norman Leigh’s is to be invalidated,” said the colonel. ‘Are you willing to investigate such proof?’ asked Helen. “Willing!” cried Lady Clare, losing her hauteur, and seizing Helen’s hand; ‘‘ he must, he shall investigate.” «¢ But what are these proofs?—what is this story?” said the colonel, more cautiously. ) ‘Let me first say,” said Helen, ‘that I come here in cried Lady Clare, angrily. — the cause of honesty and justice. I am not here to sella secret, nor stipulate for rewards. If we had wished for | money out of this discovery, we could, no doubt, have (e(0) Eomicbooks