A Heart's Bitterness — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

er. 232 A HEART'S BITTERNESS. Cross, Strand. Kemp remained at the Mitre, in Chancery Lane, but his infatuation for Helen grew hourly, and he was constantly going to visit her, or insisting on taking her to ride or walk, or for trips on the ‘’hames steamers. Helen was in a fever of unrest; despair, vengeance, rage, remorse, contended in her soul, and she submitted to going about with Kemp because. any company was better to her than solitude, any speech was preferable to the horror of her own thoughts. She heard that Lord Leigh was lying at the point of death in brain fever, and accusing herself of his condition, she made up her mind to fling herself from London Bridge if she heard of his death. Kemp was constantly buying rich presents for Helen, and whenever she admired anything, he promised to give it to her as soon asthey were married. or reasons of his own, he dreaded the progress of the coming case of ‘‘ Leigh versus Hartington,’ and again and again he passionately besought Helen to marry him at once, setting out for Aus- tralia, and destroying before they left all the pieces of evidence in their hands. But no persuasions, no lover’s vows, no bribes, would Iure Helen Hope from her deadly purpose. In fact, Kemp was the object of her abhorrence, and she never intended to fulfill her contract of marriage with him; he was to be forsaken as soon as he had accomplished her purpose of vengeance. A less infatuated suitor than Kemp would have perceived this. One afternoon Kemp and Helen were just about to go out for a walk in Hyde Park when Lord Keith was an- nounced. He was struck with Helen’s appearance. _ €*T feel sure I have seen you before,” he said. , Yes, you have. You were at Berne. I saw you ofte with Mrs. Kemp.” ae Really? But I am not acquainted with any Mrs. emp.” “Calling herself Countess of Leigh,” said Helen, em- phatically. ‘ “‘Qh, the Countess of Leigh! Yes, I am a friend of ers.” 3 _ ‘And it isfor her sake, in some way, I suppose, that you call upon me?” , : | EComicbooks:co