A Heart's Bitterness — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

—_ 28 o A HEART'S BITTERNESS. CHAPTER VII. ‘STOO LATE FOR REMEDY.” For the first time in her life Violet was in Paris. ‘T'o the child-wife, this was a new world. Its enchantments won her from herself and her sorrows. She was eager to see all that was to be seen. To Lord Leigh Paris was an old story; he had been there time and again. ‘The only parts of Paris for which he now had toleration were the Bourse, where financial speculations were rife, and racing stables, and a club or two, where he met his countrymen. For a few days he tried to do his duty, taking Violet about; but he wearied of the great museums of the Louvre, © of his bride’s ecstasy over pictures, and statuary, and jewelers’ establishments. He felt that he might as well stop playing the attentive husband. ‘What do you care, Violet, for seeing all these flowers?” he demanded. ‘‘If you want marbles, or pictures, why don’t you buy the whole lot, and take them home to admire at your leisure?” «You know I cannot buy these Murillos, and Van- dykes, or the ‘Feast of Cane,’ which are the pride of France, northe Venus of the Louvre—kings could not buy those treasures. But if it is a trouble to you to go out with me, pray donot.go. I canstay at home.” ‘« Tt is all nonsense to talk of staying at home,” said Lord Leigh. ‘* You have your carriage and your servants; you can go as you like. Take your maid and groom along. I admit I have no taste. in either high art or horticulture. Why should a man be always following his wife, as if he feared to loseher? Your Montressor relations will be here soon, and you can go out with them.” Violet availed herself of her new liberty. Timidly at first, the young creature went out now with servants only. In a few days the strangeness wore off. The novelty of her surroundings brightened her, for a large part of each day she forgot Lord Leigh and herunhappy marriage. In their brief courtship Lord Leigh had not grown into her life, nor taken hold on her affections. Her heart had & Eomicbooks (€(0)