A Heart's Bitterness.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 15, 19 January 1887, Page 4

A Heart's Bitterness.

Bx BERTHA M. CLAY,

Author of "For Anothor's Sin," "A Fair

Mystery," -_c,

CHAPTER XXXIV,

"I BOW TO MY _'ATK "

*' Why are yon here." cried Violot, angered and ashamed that any eye should witness her secret grief and battle.

" Do not be angry wilh me," said Helen, _\ sitting down by her, and taking her reluctant hand. " I would like to comfort you. Do not mourn over a trilling quarrel; these things often happen, and aro next day forgotten." " What do yon moan ." said Violot. " I have not quarrelled. I never duarroi. I am not so " She stopped. "Not so ill-bred?" said Helen, with a mocking smile. "I beg your pardon. I forgot that I was speaking with one who has been nursod in the satin lap of nobility. I judged you by myself, and I havo the passions of my kind, and my 'manners have not that repose that marks tho rank of Vero de Vere.' " Violet tried to riso and go back to her home and her guests. Helen's words had stopped the current of wee and tears, not by consolation, but as a sharp frost stops the welling streams of tho spring-time. Don't go," said Helen, holding her fast, " I did not mean to offend you. My inference that you wero crying over a quarrel wafniost natural, aa I saw your husband going away from b_3 littlo lover's nook with a black cloud on hia face."

" My husband I Ho was not here." "Pardon mo; ho iras— I saw him. I could havo touched him." " But ho has gono out from breakfaston business."

" Oh I So ? Thon perhaps it wa3 not you with wham lie quarrelled, and jott did not cause the black cloud."

" You always puzzle mo," said Violet, fixing her ingenious eyoa on Helen's handsome, dork, bat seoret face. " I never know just what you moan." •' \*ou force me to bo vory plain," said Misa Hope, steadily. " I consider that it is Miss Ambro-0 whom your husband mot, and with whom ho has quirreled. Ho haa had an infatuation for her. I. hoard phe was here, and of course they wero mooting, and I came hero to warn you ; for, as I told you, I want to bo your Iriond. 1 think you tried to bo kind to me, and 1 am vory sorry for you." "If youi fooling ia ao kind," said Violot, "I thick your acta are very unfortunate. Surely you cannot make mo moro comfortable by coming to m. with talc, about Lord Leisrh. It there aro unpleaannt things, that I cannot hinder ; it wero much better that I had not known them, Ido not expect to bo happy, but I ehould like to bo at peaco." "And you would ignoie your husbaud's unfaithfulness V

" Huah I" said Violot, angrily. " You are now slandering. You aro merely Burmi.ing. hurmi-re gooJ, not evil, if you are a good woman I A man may surely renew an acquaintance without being accused of unfaithfulness."

"Bat what would you do if the accusation were true ?" cried Helen, holding her fast by both bauds. " I would endure in silence," said Violot,

firmly. '• What I for a man who does not love you, whom you do not love? When you might freo yourself by a divorce I" " Stop, wicked woman !Do you think for any cau3e I would make my name, my home, the line I bave entered, a cause for public scandal, tho talk of all England? When nothing else ia left me I can at least patiently endure." "When you mipht free yourself, and marry ono you love ?'' " Weak and foolish as I may bo," said Violet, rather to herself than to Helen, " I should never fall ao low aa to desecrate marriage in that way. What you suggest ia wicked, shameful." "Are you resolved nothing shall part you from Lord Leigh _ " Nothing but death.'' "And yet, there is ono whom—forgive me, but 1 bbw you together at Berne, and read your story in yonr faces —whom you love, and who adores you, and would gladly make you his " " Only in honour, and as God could Dies?, said Violet, white to the lips with tho agony ofherspirit. "I know whom you mean. Once we were engigod, but it is all over now. Understand me, there has not beo.i a word or a thought between us two that his mother does not know, cr that God would condemn, or .hat Lord Leigh could resent. My part ia taken. I am Lord Leigh's wife, and I ehall try to be a good, kind wife. If you ever lovod Mm, aa you cay, you should be glad of *that." "I am too much of a woman ever to be glad to see any woman sacrificed," cried Miss Hope. "You will die; I see it in your eyes ; you are pining away." " That does not frighten ma; lam glad of that." . . Helen began caressing and kissing her hands. " How noble and good you are I Forgive me; I was-only to3ting you. You are quito right, you are angelic. Oh, how I wish that Buch sweetness and faith could save Lord Leigh I They could, if ho loved you. But love was not in his view of marriage. The Lords of Leigh marry for money; and for heira. He haa the money ; and if ho had the heir you might dio, and ho would forget you in a month. You see, it ia a very natural ambition, that of those ancient families -to build up their riches and perpetuate their lino. All is to be sacrificed to that." These crafty words were exactly fitted to rouse the anger of poor Violot. Sho said indignantly: , _ __j "I cannot be expected to understand or approve setting up such an altar and making sacrifices on it. lam half of a city family, and I don't see why lords should be saved from bankruptcy any more than merchants; nor why the Lords of Loieh Ehould expect their line to be Immortal moro than Boggs, the blacksmith." " That is rank heresy," sneered Helen. "I tell you that women, hearts, loves, liv.es. are as nothing; they are to be sacrificed in h.e.t.mbs to this demand of a peer for money to waato and for a son to inherit his name. You call it arrant nonsense? You do not appreciate how much nobler it is to be the mother of earls than of clodhoppers, although the earls may be blacklegs and the clodhoppers decent, honest men 1" . _ " Oh, why will you come to me and talk so?" sobbed Violet,, in a flood'of tears. "You drive tne wild. Your' wicked thoughts hannt me like demons. Leave me ; never see me again ; for whatever yon say or make me think or feel, one thing lam resolved on—l will do my duty till I die. I admit that I am wretched ; but I tecognise the irrevocable vows that I have taken. I bow to my fate." .. j , t •_. " I bave not intended to hurt or vex you ' said Helejf. " I really meant to act aa a friend. We -See theso things differently. I truly think that where a pair are miserable toeether—wLere the husband is faithless, and the wife, if free, could make a marriage where ehe would be happy and good—then she had, better get free by process of law. Yon differ. Very good. That ends it. I only wanted tcraid you, and some one elee, to happiness." . "I think I had hatter never see you again," said Violet. 'I think your views and words dangerous and wicked." She turned away. Helen Hope stood, with folded arms, to watch her gliding, a Blendor white shape, through the green aiales of the park. Helen had, in tho madness of her revenge and passion tor Lord Lei _, come here to sow disunion, to goad Violet towards a divorce, or beguile hor to recklessnesathat might open to her husband the road to divorce. The purity and simplicity of Edna and Violet, causing Edna to leave the vicinity of Leigh Towers, and Violet to scorn a happiness purchased-by what she considered the Bin of divorce, for the time defeated Helen's plana. Rebuffed for the present, she did not admit herself conquered, and made herself strong to wait and work—unhappily destined to bring a most awful tragedy on the line of Leigh. Violet meanwhile had had her thoughts diverted from her sorrow for Kenneth, the renuncia ion of his presence and friendahip. The woida of Helen had shown her that she stood in elippery places, and that danger waa near. At whatever cost, she must make an effort to save herself and Lord Leigh, and bring about better relations between them. As she resolved on this, she had looked up, and saw her husband sitting on a garden chair, on a shaded side of the terrace, apparently reading, but with a black frown on hia faco. Tbe hour was ill-chosen for confidence, but in ber inexperience she did

not sco that. She went straight to him, and , seating horsolf by hia side, put her soft j hand on his arm. Almost any man would ; havo beon moved to tenderness by the sad appealing face, tho confiding, sensitive manner, tho dainty beauty of this young creature Loid Leigh, however, was ali absorbed in a mad memory of thoilluminous beauty of Edna. "Lord Keith and his mother left renewod good-by for you, Norman." " Yes ? I bad them good-by at breakfast. " I shall miss them," began Violet. " You havo company enough, madam, I should say. Tho house ia filled with your guosts," retorted Leigh. I "I should not want any guests, if wo ■ could only bo happy together, Norman," if sho said, softly. "If I only knew how to . make you happy— if you only would bo fond 5 of me " _ " What now ?" said Leigh, harshly; ! "don't you have all your own way? Aro I ysu not surrounded with splendour ? What new gewgaws will you havo? Shall I rebuild tho Towers?" "It i 3 not that, Norman," snid Violet, teara trembling on her long lashes. "Yon know I do not care for splendour ; what I want is sympathy, kindness, love, If you only " " Nonsense I" said Leigh, " what new whim ia thia ? You don't want splendour ? You want love in a cottage. I suppo.o " "I would rather havo lore in a cottage than a palace without love," said Violet. " We promised to love each othor, and_ we ought to try and do so. Wo are not trying, I'm afraid. Let ua strive and have more confidence—more love, that community of interest that we should havo." " I'm not up to the sentimental flights," retorted this man, who within a week had been pleading at Edna Ambrose's feet, that " love deaerved response,"

CHAPTER XXXV,

"HE LOVES, ..-tD HAS LOST I'

Violet li-rred her aad, reproached eyes on tho hard scowling face of Leigh. But sho would not bo rebuked ; sho might win him to hotter things. Sho said softly:

•' WII7 should" wo spend our lives estranged and lonely, when we might bo good, nnd happy, and helpful to each Othor? I sco you aro not happy; n'oithor am I. Lot us try and do bettor. Perhaps it was partly my fault; perhapa I did not try hard enough to ploaso you when wo wero lirst married, when wo were at Paris.''

" I romembor you did me the honour to say I married for your fortune," said Leigh, aarcastically. " Whatever I said that was wrong, forgive mo. It is the misfortune of my life that I havo had a fortune ; it has made nio suspicious. Let us forget all unkind words."

But since Leigh had fallen back into such furious lovo for Edna, ho was as hard aa adamant to poor Violot. "When we wero married," he said, "1 thought thoro wore some appearances to keep up. But some women are always bound to find out all that they had better not know. You listened to some gabbler on your marriage day—to old Adam, when he camo from Homburg, and to that demon of a girl you took for embroidery teacher. Aa far as we two are concerned, the mask has fallen ; why put it on ngain!" "It is true," said Violet, deeply stung, "that I am wiser than I waa when I promised to marry you " "So? It is a new commont on the bliss of ignorance." "And that we are wretched, and likely to remain wretched."

'• Like Eve, you have eaten of the Tree of Knowledge, and your eyes have been opened more to evil than good. It remains for you. to bear the consequences,' said Leigh sharply. . Violet draw herself up, and a crimson flush covered her lovely, sorrowful face. She would not humble herself by further pleading with thia hard man. His mocking laugh followed hor as she moved away. Leigh waa half-mad with shame, chagrin, love for Edna, and was desperate at her disappearance. The pentup bitterness of hia soul he choae to break on the first creature that camo in his way. Unluckily, the one destined to serve as conductor to the lightning of hia rage waa his hapless wife. Had it been a groom or gardener, he would havo cursed, kicked, and dismissed him, and gone to dinner relieved in spiiit. As it was, the one who camo to greet him, unconscious aa Jophtha's daughter of tho dangers of precedence, was poor Violet, and tbe miserable broach was widened between them. As Violet went her to room, cruelly stabbed by her husband, in a fashion of which tho law takes no cognisance, tho laughter of Grace and Sir Tom, of Anna ancf Captain Gore, playing lawn tonnis, came to her. How bright life was to them I and for her, scarcely older than either of these girls, the sweetness and light were gone out of life.

Kate looked at tho haggard face and heavy eye 3 of hor little niiatroas and shook hor head.

"My o«n darling little lady, whatever is troubling you, you must not take it to heart so. Remember that all things good and evil go by, like sails upon the sea. Now I* shall bring your dresaing-gown and slippers, acd bathe your head, and brush your hair, and you must take heart of grace, my own little mistress. Nothing is so dark that light doesn't como after it; and think horv much you have that is good — thia charming weather, this grand castle, all the beautiful things you like; and whatever you wish for you have only to spoak. Now, yesterday I went for the houaekeepor to " And then, Kate, as she skilfully brushed the silken hair, with equal'skill of heart began to describe scenes of pathos and poverty, of content and joy, among the tenants of the estato; and the heart of Violet was bcguilod from itself to interest in others, and to littlo plans for othera' good. " You can get thia out of your life, my sweet Miss Violet," said Katie, " that you can help other people and make many happy with your money. It will cheer you up, my dear lady. Wo often find a deal of trouble looking clobo at ourselveß, md get oat of the worst of it when we reach out to other people. I mind my grandmother had a sort of parable, that if you wanted ahorse to thrive in pasture you did not tie him up with too short a-tether; and that centering our joy or sorrow in ourselves did not give us room to thrive; we must get out into other folks' lives. I express it badly, my dear Miss Violet, and please do not be angry with me for seeming to try to teach you." "You are a true friend, Kate," said Violet, reaching up to pat the hand that tirelessly brushed her hair; " you do me good; I must try to Btop thinking at all of myself."

"You are the sweetest lady—" began Kate; but a knock at the door silenced her, and Mrs Ainslie entered. The good lady was flushed and worried, and so evidently wished for conversation with her niece that Kate discreetly went away to her sewing. '•' I think I must take the dear girls away, Violet," paid Mrs Ainslie. " I couldn't think of having Anna get engaged to Captain Gore, before she comes out even. With Keith it wouldrtave been different;, that would have been a-triump^. Buff-Gore ia getting too devoted. T consider it. cruel of you to let Keith go as you did.' Do hear those young folks on the lawn I Anna laughs and talks as if there was no other man than Captain Gore in the world." "Aunt," said Violet, earnestly, "put Lord Keith out of our mind. I tell you | assuredly, that Anna has no prospect there at all, and Gore is a fine fellow, with enough to livo on. Don't bring out a storo of worldly maxims to preach down your daughter's heart. You may make ber miserable, and misery is often wicked and reckless." - " Miserable !" cried Mra Ainelio, holdins. up both her plump, ringed handa—" miserable ! with title, money, and the first society in the land ? Nonsense I' . Violet was ailent. What uso to proclaim what her aunt was too blind to see, when it was so plain? Should she shout her misery from the house-top ? "Is Keith engaged I" her aunt demanded. " You would know from his mother." " No, not engaged; but, for some time at least, he will not think of loving anyone; he lovea, and has lost." " Some foreign person V said Mra Ainslie, eagerly. "Dead?" " Dead—-o him," added Violet, with a sob under her breath. "I only tell you, aunt, that you will drop him out of all your thoughts for Anna, and not stand in the way of an honest love. I see that Captain Gore likes her, and he is able to support her comfortably." "Oh, Violet, how coolly you can talk. It is not your girl, your oldest daughter, who is giving up all hope of a really splendid match, before her first season, even." ' " Those society speculations are as bad as _ a Circassian slave market," cried Violet. " You marry two who do not love, the man ' becomes a tyrant, the woman a trembling ' victim, their children, if there are any, are '

loveless and suspicious, end despiso their parents who havo been so evidently bought and sold, and yet, from the forco of example, thoy also go on, to bo sold and bought, ac much as ships, or etocks, or houses or horses I Ob, it is wicked ! wicked !" " Better poverty," cried Violet, passionately, " hotter exile, better a convent coll, better a dungeon, hotter death, than marriage without love. Then, truly, women aro slaves."

"What haa come over you in threo or four months.'' said hor wondering aunt. " You usod to bo ao childlike, and you eoom now—woll, at timo. harder, oxcitablo, old a3 you say, such qnoor things. I don't understand you I" . Poor Violet 'understood hersolf. She only know that inwardly sho rebelled against her bitter fata, and outward y sho meant to submit to it, and like Dives, in tho torments of hades, she lifted up her eyes and wished to save hor brethren from her own fate. Mrs Ainalio looked down and pondered, thon said : " Well, Anna shall have hor choice in society before sho ia entangled with Captain Goro, or any other untitled man. I shall send her home to Lindonwcod tomorrow or Saturday. Tho Towers scorns a great placo for match-making, Violot; Grace and Sir Tom havo eettlod their affair, and will be married at Christmas; and your cousin, Claro Mo.atrosaor, after her six usoless seasons, is evidontly going to take Colonol Hartington. I have soon Claro and tho colonol watching Lord Leigh. Clare says ho looks poorly. Thsy count on tho succession, Violet. I hope you'll have two or threo boys, and disappoint them ; for of all women I dialike your Cousin Clare, sho is co supercilious to mo. It ia not natural for a mother to wish to set hor child where no ono will daro look down on her, or vox hor by such haughty manners? 1 think Anna ia vory attractive. Don't you ? Such a colour I Such health ! Such a laugh ! Sho ia as I was when I waa young. Well, I shall not pine over Keith, for thero is tho Marquis of Allffold; ho is said to bo tho handaomoat young man in England, and ho will be a duko. .Vho knows ? Anna may eocuro him." In spito of hor sorrow, hor disgust, at such bold scheming, Violot could not forbear turning hor head away to laugh. Allwold I Destined to bocomo ono of tho firat peers of England I Allwold, in whoso voina flows tho moat ancient blood in the threo kingdoms. Alhvold's marriage plotted for in hor dressing-room I It seemsimply amusing. Littlo did Violet think of what her sharo should bo iv Allwold'a marriage. "Anna shall go homo to-morrow," said Mrs Ainslie, firmly. Then Violet could not help laughing aloud.

( To In Continued.)