A Struggle for a Ring — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

152 AN ANXIOUS MOTHER. keener, she would have known that laugh was full of bitterness and pain. | ‘‘ He takes very good care not to show it, mamma,” she replied ; and Lady Pierpont looked, as she felt, surprised. ‘‘Thére I cannot agree with you, Ethel; indeed, it is of that I have come to speak to you. Lord Carsdale seems to be very much in love with you; he follows you everywhere; he is like your shadow; indeed, he almost seems to lose his reason when you are near; but that is very natural, you are so beautiful, my dear. JI am sure that Lord Carsdale loves you; but you, perhaps, have not given him any encouragement.” Her face burned as she remembered all the encourage- ment she had given him. ‘‘He has not presented himself to me in the character of a lover, mamma,” she said, evasively. ‘“You may rely upon it he will do so, my dear; and now we come to what I wanted to say. Of course you might do better. With your beauty you might be Duchess of Mount Severne, as I am sure the duke wor- ships you; you might be Grand Duchess of Hollenstein ; but both your papa and. myself will fully consent to your being Lord Carsdale’s wife. You will be Countess of Waldrove in the course of time, and it is one of the finest estates and oldest titles in England ; besides which I really like Lord Carsdale; he is very handsome, he is good form, he is a gentleman in every sense of the word.” | ‘«'There is one thing, mamma—I cannot be Lady Cars- dale unless I am asked.” ‘*Certainiy not, my dear; but you are sure to be asked —one look from you seems sufficient. I tell you that Lord Carsdale is desperately in love with you; his mother ought to know, and she says the same thing.” (Eo) Comic ,00