Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

| you. I was crushed and disheartened, and nearly ill for several weeks; then I said 1 would try you once more, and [came hither to find you. Again you re- pulsed me. [longed to tell you of the change in my fortunes, thinking perhaps if the barrier of poverty was removed [ might win you; but, toa proud and seusitive man, such an alternative is, to say the least, humiliating, aud [ could not stoop to the purchase of my wife. I left you that night. mortified, angry, desperate, vowing that 1 would make you pay the penalty of your heartlessness. But iy deep love for vou reasserted itself, and my anger soon cooled. And now, once more,in spite of all that has gone before, I have come to plead ny cause, I can now again take my place among the most distinguished suitors thatseek your hand; I cannot give you a title, itis true, but I can give youa true, honest heart in lace of it—a heart that has been faithful to you for ong years, that has never wavered iu its allegiance to you, in spite of the many discouragements {it has had to contend with, and Ican enable you to take any position you may choose in the social world. I feel that 1tis beneath any man to plead thus for the woman of his choice; under other circumstances I should consider it an insult to her; butI love you so entirely, while at the same time [long to save you from committing a great wrong by deceiving others, that I am willing even to beg you to come to me, sim- ply for the comforts aud elegancies which I can give you. Will you, Helena?” She arose and stood before him, white and cold as any statue. “No!” she cried, sr voice of scorn, ber eyes blaz- ing with passion; “do you imagine that you can p ; y £ Neeeoe either coax or Jrighten we into submissty ates