A Heart's Bitterness — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

A HEART'S BITTERNESS. 261 She turned, and saw her uncle, Henry Ainslie, entering the room. . “Uncle,” she said, ‘‘give orders to have Adam buried with Lord Leigh, and let his coffin be placed in the Leigh vault, at his lord’s feet. He has followed him all his life; he shall lie with him in death.” It was graciously thought and said, and brought the first ray of consolation to poor Magery. Next day they buried Lord Norman and his faithful ser-— vant. A long, pompous train followed the magnificent bier, and laid Norman Leigh beside his fathers, As swallows fly from the frosts, and orioles vanish in the train of summer, so guests fly from the house of sorrow as soon as funeral rites are finished. .Colonel Hartington and Lady Clare were first to go. With Clare went the Montressor kin, and Mrs. Ainslie de- parted next. Henry. Ainslie tarried a little longer than his wife. ‘Some arrangements must be made for you, Violet,” he said. ‘*‘ Your husband made no will, appointed no guard-_ ians. I don’t know just what you are to do.” ‘<T mean‘to stay here, and bring up my son on his estates © among his own people, to be a good earl,” said Violet. ‘¢Edna will be with me much, and I shall write to the Lord Chancellor to appoint Rupert’s guardians and our trustees. He will.” ‘‘T think that is good sense,” said Uncle Henry. ‘And Storms and the steward can advise you about the estates. ” He brightened visibly when he found he need not be guardian, and took leave of his niece, protesting that she was developing into a wonderful little woman. Violet wrote to the Lord Chancellor, who was laid up with gout at his London house. And now all the guests were gone but Edna. The family at the Towers were all in deep black, but the black hang- _ 2 ings were removed, and the doors and windows were open to the sun and the fragrance of fruit and flowers. It was a late September morning, and Violet and Edna ~ were seated together in a charming little room overlooking the gardens, when a servant entered with two letters, one from the Lord Chancellor, and one from Kenneth Keith. ~ The letter from the Lord Chancellor lay uppermost; and, as Violet took it from the salver, she did not notice the su- EomiIcbooks CO