A Heart's Bitterness — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

30 A HEART'S BITTERNESS. ‘‘Well, then, why give her up?” insisted foolish Violet. «© Oh, I heard what a golden apple hung in that garden of Hesperides—the Ainslie nursery—and I waited.” Violet was deeply stung. She was pursuing a conversa- tion which it would have been wisdom never to have begun. But she was young and inexperienced, and her heart had been cruelly wounded in her marriage. She longed to re- turn blow for blow. But what could she say? Unhappily, she had a taunt ready. .. © And while you waited for the Ainslie Hesperides to ‘open its gates, you went up into the country and made love to the vicar’s daughter.” Lord Leigh sprang to his feet. His face grew white. «« Lady Leigh, how came you to such intimate knowledge of my past?” ‘It zs knowledge, then?” said Violet, quietly. ‘‘I am wiser in your past than you supposed.” ‘‘ Well, then, having all this wisdom, why marry me, and at once regret 1t?” ‘<T did not know it until two hours after I had been so unhappy as to go with you to the altar.” Leigh controlled himself with an effort. ) ‘* At least,” he said, “‘the very worst there is to know o -meis nothing so very bad. My record, whatever you may think, is not so bad as that of many men. You have noth- ing much to complain of.” ‘‘ Did you not marry me for my fortune?” “Yes, I did. And I claim that it is just as lawful a ground for marriage as beauty or blood.” | ‘“* Marriage should be made solely for love,” said Violet. ‘‘Tam not romantic. Did you love me, pray?” ‘«T expected to, some time.” “ And I expected, and do expect, to make you an amiable husband, and give you no cause for complaint. I wish no quarrels, and no recriminations. JI. shall not find fault readily, and you need not. My conduct is good enough!” ‘* But did you not have a greatdebt? And my uncle says men only get into debt by being knaves or fools.” Your uncle is an oracle. Once for all, let me tell you that my debt came chiefly by speculating. I speculated with Tom Churchill’s property, expecting to make a great thing of it. I lost his funds, and as I am no rascal, I re- placed them by a huge mortgage on my estates. That Eomichooks. (E(@)