A Struggle for a Ring — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

it! MADAME ROUBART’S ADVICE. 193 in the same commonplace measure as those who had no tragedy of wasted love and wasted affection? ‘What did they know of life, these people, who simpered and smiled, who laughed and sang, who loved one moment and forgot. the next, who changed their lovers as thev did their gloves? She smiled in superb disdain. What did they know of nights spent in bitter thought and bitter tears, of days consumed in a fever of longing, of hours of passionate. unrest and passionate misery? It was a‘l a dead, bitter life—nothing but play for them. | ‘My dear Miss Derwent,” said Madame Roubart to her one day, ‘‘could you not contrive to look a little less earnest? You have an almost tragic force of expression: You look more like a Greek goddéss—a Greek tragic muse, than a nineteenth century young lady.” Alice looked up in great alarm. ‘‘Is itso, madame? Do I look unlike other people? ““You always remind me of ‘Tennyson’s A‘none,” replied madame, with a bright little laugh. ‘*‘ When I have a few moments to spare I like to spend it in studying dear Ten- nyson, and A‘none is one of my favorites. I cannot tell why, but whenever 1 look at you I think of her.” ‘‘But why?” asked Alice.. ‘‘ There must always be a reason for all that every one does—why is it?” | ‘‘T cannot tell you, only that in my thoughts I give to ZEnone tragic depth of sadness and earnestness that you most certainly also possess; though of course,” she con- tinued, laughingly, ‘‘it is all nonsense. I know that you have no beautiful Paris, no ‘evil-hearted Paris,’ to mourn —how should you have? You have not met your Paris yet.” , **No one has ever loved me,” replied Alice, with quiet dignity, ‘‘if that be what you mean.” * ‘. 4 . > % co mn cComicboo