A Heart's Bitterness — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

Bese 4 HEART'S BITTERNESS. clique is here. I see the stories are so, Churchill—you don’t deny he is hard up.” | ; ‘‘Was, you mean,” interrupted the third speaker; ‘‘ now he is easy enough—two millions of pounds is a nice pot of reserve cash, by Jove! I wish I’d fallen into it.” Open to every terrible word, the sweet young bride had stood by that flower-curtained window powerless to move or to cry out. life seemed to remain in her, only to pour upon her brain, through her ears, those hideous, shameful, agonizing, crushing truths. ~He who had said he loved her preferred others to her, and had sought her only for her fortune. He who had seemed above reproach and suspicion was the embodi- ment of all that she most dreaded. He, to whom she had fled for refuge, from fortune-hunting, was the ver- lest fortune-hunter of them all. She had given her in- nocent heart, her quivering, sensitive soul, irrevocably to one who married her that he might pay an enormous bill. It was then that Violet fell senseless to.the floor. She heard those miserable truths—then she knew nothing until sight and knowledge returned, and bending nearest her, a look of ownership in his eves, was the man who had so cruelly deceived her. his scene, these thoughts, were still wretchedly repeat- ing themselves when the train arrived at Dover, where, as they we:- too late for the boat, Lord Leigh had telegraphed for apartments, and found himself in possession of a mag- nificent suite of rooms, that had been used more than once by royalty. The splendor of the apartments, the richness of the dress in which Kate had arrayed her, the choice supper set before her, could not distract the excited mind of Violet. When she was left alone in the drawing-room with Lord Leigh she could not remain seated. In these hours of thought her anger had been rising. She moved uneasily up and down the room, aud then stood by the hearth, her elbow resting on the low jade mantel and her head bent on her pink palm, as she looked at the dancing fire. “Lady Leigh,” said the bridegroom, suddenly, having gazed for some minutes at the lovely sad face, ** will you Eomicbooks (e(@)