A Heart's Bitterness — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

Sigai e: 4 HEART'S BITTERNESS. _ wasa face in the background of his life that-outvalued the style and rank of Clare and the fortune of Violet, but a face that Norman Leigh had sentenced to exile from his heart. After their dinner, in a private room at the hotel, the - ladies withdrew to a reserved parlor. Finding little of in- terest in the chat of her two companions, Violet went out on a balcony, and wandering up and down, happened to come near a window where her cousin and Lady Jane were seated. Suddenly she heard Lady Jane say: ‘‘“What do you suppose was Lord Leigh’s reason for whisking his wife out of Paris to-day? I never was more surprised than when he came in and begged us to get ready for Sevres at once, and let it seem as if we had arranged _ the matter some hours earlier.” : ‘«‘ Leigh has a talent for maneuvering,” said Lady Clare. ‘‘ But people seldom maneuver for sheer love of it. ‘here must bea reason. Istherea lover in the case, think?” ‘“‘A lover! That baby-faced chit is not likely to have a lover.” “* Men like baby-faces; and London raved over her.” ‘“Money—only her money. And now that is in Leigh’s hands. It is what he married her for, and he took care to get the handling of plenty of it. ‘The rest is tied to her - children.” | ‘© Money or not, she is sweet enough to win hearts,” said Lady Jane, ‘‘and I feel sure he must have seen some one adoring her afar off, or heard that some one was enamored. of her looks, or have seen her glances wandering, or why should he hurry her here, with us for company, and not wish her to know the scheme? I'll venture he feared to have her meet some one at the opera to-night.” 3 Violet heard astounded. She seemed to be always hear- ing things she should not hear, and which set her against Lord Leigh. Her thoughts flew to Keith. Had Leigh in some way heard that she was Keith’s early love, and had he carried her off lest Keith should see her? Was he develop- ing the tyrant so quickly? | If she must be suspected and treated as a criminal, when _ her intentions were so pure and lofty-—when she was sure she was putting Keith out of her heart for mere sake of goodness---she would not endure it, she would run away from Leigh, and hide herself forever. Comicbooks.co aa) '