A Struggle for a Ring — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

\ 7 ~~; " . A MEETING, AND A PROMISE. 17 The doctor rang his bell, which was answered by the housekeeper. ‘‘Mrs. Chawner,” he said, gravely, ‘‘this is my niece— Miss Derwent. She is here for a few days that I may see what progress she has made in her studies; you will be very kind and attentive to her. See also that my directions are fully carried out—that Miss Derwent does not leave your rooms.” Mrs. Chawner looked with astonishment at the beautiful girl, with her fair face, her blue eyes, and fair, waving hair. Never had such an apparition been seen in that house before. She bowed low. ‘‘Are Lord Vivian’s things, most of them, packed?” asked the doctor. » ‘Ves, sir; they are ready. His lordship thought of ” going on Thursday. His luggage was to wait, he said, until it was sent for.” ‘Thank you,” said the doctor, in his grave, stately fashion; and the housekeeper knew that she was dismissed with those words. Alice thought to herself, ‘‘ What a beautiful name— Lord Vivian! It is like a name in a novel.” © She went away with Mrs. Chawner, and spent the dullest day of her life in that good woman’s room. There were - only two books in it—the Bible and ‘‘Sir Charles Grandi- son.” She took refuge in the latter. True, every attention was paid to her. Mrs. Chawner brought her a delicious little dinner, a very nice tea, and a nice supper; then the doctor came and talked to her aboutgher studies. ‘‘Tt is worse than a prison,” thought Alice, She longed to know what, was going on in the other parts of the house; she heard music, singing, the sound % - ne 7 comicboo