A Struggle for a Ring — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

164 A STRANGE PARTING. among such grand people lately that Sas do not care for my people.” ‘‘ My dear Ailie,” he said, ‘‘that—pray pardon me—is a vulgar idea, and not expressed with your usual grace.” She tried to explain, but she could not; she burst into a fit of passionate weeping. Lord Carsdale sprang from his seat. ‘‘T did not expect a scene, Ailie,” he said; ‘‘you know that I have a great objection to tears.” ‘‘T know you are very cruel to me,” said Alice. ‘“‘T cruel!” he cried; ‘‘cruel! Why, Iam doing all that I possibly can to please you and make you happy. I do not understand you, Ailie.” She looked up at him. ‘‘Lord Carsdale,” she cried, ‘‘have you ever heard of one asking for bread and receiving a stone?” ‘I do not understand you, Ailie; you speak as though I had wronged you. Iam doing all I can for you. What do you mean about bread and a stone? It was a most unfortuate affair for us, but reproaches are quite useless.” The answer died on her lips, for just at that mornent the dancing-master and his wife entered the room. CHAPTER XXIII. A STRANGE PARTING. All the details of that one interview came afterward like a wild, weird dream before Alice’s mind. She could remember her passion of anger and despair. She who had longed for him, wept for him—who had so wished to Eomilebooks,