A Struggle for a Ring — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

106 SISTER AND WIFE CONTRASTED. daughter. It would put an end to his mother’s hope for the girls, for, disguise it as he would, there was something ridiculous attached to the idea. A dancing-master’s daugh- terand the son of an earl! He wished that honest John Derwent had been an artist, a musician, anything except just what he was. For Linda’s sake and for Gertrude’s sake, he must keep his secret, at least until they were mar- ried and settled. So he was silent, and the story of that hasty, reckless marriage was not told. As the time passed on he understood better what he had done—it came home very clearly to him one morning. The earl, his father, had purchased for him a new hunter, a magnificent animal, and he sent for his son to the stables to inspect it. «See, Vivian,” said Lord Waldrove; ‘‘I hope you will be pleased with Saladin. I have been some time in choosing him for you—I was determined that you should have a good one.” Lord Carsdale expressed his pleasure and delight. ‘‘] have been three months in deciding over Saladin,” said the earl; ‘‘I have seen some fine horses, but I had resolved on having the best for you. Then,” he added, laughingly, ‘‘there is a moral in that for you, Vivian. If _ Ihave spent three months in choosing a horse, how long should you spend in choosing a wife?” Lord Carsdale looked very uncomfortable. ‘‘That I can hardly tell,” he said ; ‘‘it would all depend on whether it was a case of love at first sight or not.” The earl laid his hand kindly on the young man’s shoulder; he looked almost wistfully into the handsome face. ~ ‘‘T am only jesting, Vivian,” he said. ‘‘Of course, some time or other you will marry—I hope so; but I have S) EOomicboo com